Title: Serena and Darien: Much Ado About Nothing, Part Four Author: Saritaluv E-mail: saritaluv@yahoo.com Rating: PG-PG-13 All right! I’m plodding along like a dull ant in this story!! DON’T keep nagging me about getting the chapters out every week (I will try, but I have absolutely NO time during the week, even on the weekends!! So whenever I can, I write!!). I’m trying, honestly I am!! Here we get into the play a little bit (Serena and Darien are auditioning.) Now, you’re probably wondering how in the world the play will figure with anything, but I have some ideas. Just bear with me, okay? Gomen, if the plot is kinda slow. On with the story!! Thanx a lot to my very bestest tsukino-bishoujo (I’m trying to incorporate some Japanese here. Gomen, but I’m not Japanese. What I was trying to say there was moonbabe, ya know, pretty girl of the moon?), Rini Shields, who, to my surprise, lives all the way across the continent from me! Is that not wicked cool or what? So kiddies, no matter what you’re parents say, Sailor Moon is good for you!! You make friends from all parts of the country!! Standard disclaimers apply. ~CHAPTER FOUR~ BBRRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!! Serena groaned. She opened her eyes but quickly shut them again from the bright sunlight. ‘Why can’t today be Saturday?’ she thought. She reached for her bunny alarm clock, but accidentally shoved it off her nightstand. She sighed, getting up, shutting it off, resetting it on her nightstand, and going back to bed. Luna awoke when the alarm clock went off. She yawned and stretched, purring as she did so. She glanced over to where Serena lay, a mass of golden hair peeking out from a purple moon and rabbit comforter. Luna closed her eye and shook her head. That Serena. Soon her mother was going to come storming in. ‘5-4-3-2-1...’ "SERENA!" ‘Bingo.’ Serena mumbled something along the lines of, "Five more minutes." Moments later, a purple-haired woman wearing an apron and brandishing a cooking spoon came up the stairs, yelling at her daughter. "Serena, you’re going to be late!" More mumbles from the half-asleep Serena. "I won’t take any excuses! Get up!" Serena moaned. Luna sighed. It was like this every morning. Doesn’t that girl ever learn? ‘I wonder why in the world she’s the Senshi of the Moon.’ After ten more minutes of Elaine cajoling Serena to get up, gently and otherwise, she gave up and went downstairs, sighing and shaking her head in resignation. The bunny alarm clock went off again, and Serena bolted up out of bed. "Luna! Why didn’t you wake me up?" Luna rolled her eyes. "What’s the use?" Serena bolted out of bed, brushed her teeth, washed her face, dressed in her school uniform, and managed to make her bed in less than two minutes. She threw all of her homework papers into her suitcase-like school bag, slammed it shut and ran downstairs, doing her hair in her typical meatball style. "Mom! Why didn’t you wake me!" she whined. "I tried to, dear, for about ten minutes. Each time you said you’d be up." "And you believed me?" Serena raced back and forth trying to get ready for school. "Why don’t you have some breakfast before you go, Serena?" "Can’ttoobusygottagoIloveyouseeyoulater- goodbye!" Serena threw on her shoes and was about to bolt out the door when her mother called after her, "Don’t forget your lunch, dear!" Serena grabbed the lunch from her mother’s hand and raced down the street towards Juuban High. Darien was in the shower long before his alarm went off at six-thirty. He sighed. Why in the world did he get up so damn early? He stepped at of his tiled shower stall and dried off. The beeping alarm was starting to grate on his nerves now. He sighed with resignation and walked over to shut his alarm off. He was still incredibly sleepy, but he felt a certain need to get up. A certain part of his mind wondered if he was afraid to sleep. For every time he fell asleep, the tortured dreams of his princess wandered through this thoughts. Darien didn’t ponder on it too much, just as he didn’t ponder on the Sailor Moon issue too often. Why did he even bother to save that ditz? She was clumsy, a crybaby, and a coward, much like Serena, he added in an afterthought. After getting dressed in the Juuban guys uniform (he DOES attend Juuban High after all. Remember, he and Serena go to the same school just to make this a WHOLE lot easier for me!), he went and got some breakfast. Cocoa puffs, no less. After spending a leisurely fifteen minutes eating breakfast, he combed and dried his hair so that it didn’t fall into his eyes. He wondered by he bothered to even do that. His hair feel in his eyes anyway. He could have easily used hair gel, but he didn’t like the stiff, spiky feeling it made his hair feel. He splashed on some aftershave (I dunno what it is, let’s just say it’s kinda spicy, with a rose scent. Well, of course roses!) and put his books and papers carefully in their designated binders and placed them neatly in his book bag. He took a small pride in having his apartment so spotless and clean. Too many other things in his life was so cluttered, like his love life... ‘Oh God,’ thought Darien, ‘I don’t even want to go there. Women are so confusing...like the princess, Sailor Moon, Serena...’ He wrenched his thoughts away from Serena. Too early in the day to be thinking about her. It left him distracted whenever he did. He took the elevator downstairs to the apartment garage and got in his red Mazda Miada sports car convertible. He loved his car, one of the material things in life that he could spend his love and devotion on, not just some far-off dream woman. He drove out of the apartment complex and towards Juuban High. Serena made it into Ms. Haruna’s homeroom class late. She mumbled her usual apology, but Ms. Haruna didn’t pay any attention. "Fine, whatever, Serena. Just sit down. I have many things to discuss with you." Serena was surprised. Interesting. Ms. Haruna didn’t seem to be in a good mood, she wasn’t going on a date obviously. Serena deduced that a lot was on Ms. Haruna’s mind to be too mad at a tardy student. "Today, your classes will be cut fifteen minutes short because of the school play. Everyone is required to participate, even freshmen. There will be a short assembly this morning to describe it to you..." The bell rang, signifying that it was time for the assembly. "Two lines! Two lines!" yelled Ms. Haruna over the din of chattering students. Serena sighed. They formed the standard boys’ line and girls’ line, ranging from shortest to tallest. (AN: They do this a lot in Asian countries. Ugh.) Serena was the closest to the front. She hated being short. ‘Well, there is an advantage though,’ she thought wryly, ‘At least all the guys are taller than me!’ "Hey Serena, did you study for the Shakespeare’s sonnet test last weekend?" came Melvin’s strident voice. Serena wrinkled her cute nose down at him in disgust. ‘Well, almost every guy. Except Melvin.’ Amy and Mina and Raye were next to each other and Lita was at the far back of the girls’ line. She felt very awkward being the tallest girl. They walked, no MARCHED, down the hall towards the auditorium. Serena glanced the seniors filing in. Darien, with his towering six foot five inches was near the back. He gave her a smirk before sitting down in the senior’s section. Serena sat next down and listened to Mr. Higashi, the school headmaster explain how the school was deprived of a science and art building since it was burned down last spring (AN: I took this from Alicia Blade’s "A Dance To Remember." Remember when three of our favorite sidekicks accidentally blew up the science building?). Mr. Higashi wanted to put on a play, in hopes that they could raise enough money from the audience in order to pay for the new science building. There was an immediate murmur from the audience. They were beginning to become interested in what sort of play it would be. Ever the loudmouth, Melvin asked: "What are we doing?" "Why, we’re putting on a production of Shakespeare’s famous play, ‘Much Ado About Nothing,’" he said, as if he were stating the obvious. "Oh," there was a collective murmur in the room. Mr. Higashi seemed as though he were expecting loud cheers and applause. "Well? What do you guys think?" There was half-hearted applause throughout the auditorium. Mr. Higashi didn’t seem satisfied, but he lived with it. "Great, I was hoping we could get away from Shakespeare," muttered Serena. Ms. Haruna shot her an evil look. "Auditions will be held after classes. All of your classes will be cut fifteen minutes shorter..." He was interrupted by a bunch of raucous cheers. It took several minutes before Mr. Higashi could quiet them. "All right, all right. EVERYONE is required to participate. Even if it’s just lighting or costuming..." Groans went all up through the audience. "...IF you want a good grade on your midterms!" The groans stopped as suddenly as they had started. "Dismissed." Everyone stood up and bowed, and then retreated out of the auditorium. Serena couldn’t wait until classes were over. Even if it HAD to be a play written by some long dead poet, anything was better than school. "Serena!" Molly’s valley-girlish voice echoed through the halls. "Are you trying out for the play?" "Of course, Molly!" Serena exclaimed. "I wouldn’t miss it for the world!" "I don’t know though," Molly said. "I don’t know about all that Shakespeare stuff. It’s bad enough that Ms. Haruna has to cram it down our throats." "Hey, a play’s a play’s a play. It’s a chance to become the leading lady!" Molly shrugged. Serena’s gang walked down the halls towards Serena’s locker: Raye, Amy, Mina, and Lita, whom Molly secretly called the "Fab Four." Sure, Serena was part of the gang, although she served as the comic relief, rather than being PART of the gang. "Hi Serena!" Raye said cheerfully. "Hi Raye, hi guys! What do you guys think about Mr. Higashi’s speech this morning?" "Dead boring," Lita yawned. "I’ll say. But I’m not going for any of the acting parts. I want to do costuming. Wouldn’t that be fun?" Mina asked. "Sounds great, but I think being the in the spotlight would be more fun," Raye answered. "Of course YOU’D love to be in the spotlight, Raye," Serena said. They glared at each other. "But I don’t get all this Shakespeare stuff." "Oh he’s a genius," Amy interrupted. Everyone sweatdropped as they anticipated a long lecture from the "brain." "His work is full of puns and subtle jokes. He has a real taste for the real life, and his work is timeless, because they are about real people with real problems. And not to mention, most of his work in iambic pentameter, which takes real time and effort to think out. Think of how many plays he’s written! And a ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ that’s all written in iambic pentameter and couplets. He’s a real genius." Question marks appeared above everyone’s heads. "You lost me on the I-am-big penthouse or something-or-other," Lita said. "That’s iambic pentameter, Lita. It means that his poems have five feet per line..." "So, Amy," Mina interrupted, as Lita appeared as though she was about to faint, "What aspect of the play are you doing?" "Oh, I’m very interested in the lighting. The technicalities of it are..." More sweatdrops. "...and, not to mention, it will be fun to make each scene look better." Everyone breathed sighs of relief. The first bell rung for classes. Serena pulled out her books for Ms. Haruna’s English Literature class, slammed her locker shut and ran down the hallways. "Gotta go. Ms. Haruna is explaining sonnets in her class today, and I don’t want to miss it!" "See you later, Serena!" Darien pulled out his books for his next class, AP Calculus B/C. To his surprise, Andrew sauntered up beside him. "Hey Darien," he said genially. "Hey Andrew, what’s up?" "Nothing out of the ordinary. Say, what do you think of Mr. Higashi’s speech this morning?" Darien sighed. "Well, I have to be part of this play. I need a good grade on my midterm." Andrew’s eyes bugged. "Come on, Dare! You’re class valedictorian! Don’t try and contradict me, bud, you know it’s true. You can afford to get Ds the whole rest of the semester and still pass! Besides, wouldn’t doing the play be fun?" Darien shrugged. "You know I’m not into these things, Andrew." "’You know I’m not into these things, Andrew,’" he mimicked his best friend. "Come on, dude, live life a little! You gotta enjoy the big things and not worry about such trivial details!" Darien shut his locker with sigh. "Whatever, Andrew. Anyway, I WAS planning to work the lights..." "No way, dude, ya gotta go for the acting," Andrew said. "No! And feel like a complete idiot in front of a large audience? I don’t think so!" "You’re a good actor, Dare. Remember when they recruited you for a screen test for a movie?" Darien sighed again. "That was when I was modeling, Andrew. They just thought…that I’d look good for the part or something." "Dare, don’t be so modest all the time. Admit it. You’re a good actor." Darien shrugged, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Whatever." The first bell rang. "Listen, Andrew, I have to go now. I’ll see you later." "Okay, but think about what I said," he called after his retreating best friend. "I hope that worked," Andrew muttered under his breath. Convincing Darien to do something he didn’t want to do was not the easiest task in the world. "Has everyone picked their sonnets for the sonnet project on Wednesday?" Ms. Haruna asked. There was a chorus of nays and a few yeas. "Well, you must recite it on class Wednesday, along with giving your interpretation," she said. The bell rung as soon as she finished. The class cheered and raced towards the auditorium. There were multitudes of tables, one for each aspect of the play. At each table sat four people, one for each grade. Serena and Raye ran towards the table for parts, racing, each eager to get there before the other. Raye got there first, of course. "Raye Hino, freshman," she said to a lady. The lady found her name on the list. "Yes? Which part would you like to audition for, miss?" "Beatrice, ma’am." "Okay. To my left please. Next?" "I’m Serena Tsukino, also a freshman!" she babbled happily, giving the lady the Sailor V, "V is for Victory" sign. "And what part would you like to go for, miss?" "Um...I don’t care! The leading lady, maybe?" "That would be Beatrice, miss," the lady said in a slightly annoyed tone of voice. "Okie dokie, Beatrice it is! Thanks!" With that, Serena skipped after her friend Raye where the people who were trying out for Beatrice stood. Charles was not required to do anything in the play, as the school president, he basically just oversaw the production. But he could pull some strings, in terms of casting and direction. Catching Andrew’s eye, his look asked if he had convinced Darien or not. Andrew caught his look, and shook his head sadly. Charles sighed. Well, it was up to him to try now, wasn’t it? He sauntered over to the tall senior, waiting in line at the senior table. "Hey Darien," he said pleasantly. "Hey Charles," Darien said, in almost a bored tone of voice. "Are you going out for a part?" Darien whipped his head around suspiciously. He had heard that tone of voice earlier before, when Andrew tried to cajole him into going out for a part. A glimmering of suspicion blossomed in Darien’s mind. "No, why?" "Well, since you’re a good actor and all..." Darien sighed and rolled his eyes. "What is this, a conspiracy? First you, then Andrew, I wouldn’t be surprised if Rita herself asked if I was going out for a part." "Come on, Darien, you’ve got to. You’re good. And you’re not going to let all those dumb sophomores take the major role! It will totally ruin the whole play! Besides, I know that you have the knack for delivering Benedick’s lines." "What do you mean?" he asked. "You and Serena go at it every day." Darien forced down a blush. He tried to appear nonchalant. "I don’t know, it’s just something about Serena, ya know?" Charles raised an eyebrow, but let the matter drop. He turned back to convincing Darien. "So, you’re a natural for this part. Come on, who wouldn’t want to see you on the stage?" Darien grinned. "Whatever. Listen, I’m planning to work the lights, but maybe, just MAYBE I’ll try out, just to please you guys." ‘Bingo,’ Charles thought. ‘All too easy.’ Amy had registered for working the lights and now stood with all the others, listening to the instructor go over the technicalities, which Amy understood in a heartbeat. She stifled a yawn and tried to appear attentive. She gazed around the crowd. Most of the people were like her, smart, but too shy to go out for a part. Suddenly, she caught the eye of a tall, dark senior, the school vice-president, John Battamaki. He rather frightened Amy. He was always brooding and never appeared satisfied. He also always appeared to hold a grudge against Charles for beating him in the election race. But what a surprise to her when his face broke out in a smile. She was taken aback. It wasn’t a good smile. Most smiles lit up people’s faces, not make them look even more sinister and horrible. The lecture was over in a relatively short time. Most of today would be devoted to casting. Amy sauntered over to where Charles sat, but she was intercepted by John first. "Hello, Annie," he said. "That’s Amy," she corrected, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Sorry, I’m horrible with names. So, you’re into lighting?" he asked. "Yes," she said, the suspicious feeling not going away. John smiled even broader. "Great, so am I. Maybe we can become good friends, you and I." "Sure," she said uneasily. "I mean, this should be pretty easy for you, you being so smart and all." She didn’t reply to that. She was beginning to wish someone was with her, Serena, Lita, Raye, or Mina, or Charles. "Being smart has nothing to do with this," she said stiffly. "But it helps a lot, doesn’t it? I mean, you’re well known for your brains around Juuban High." "What do you mean?" Amy asked, looking around for some form of help. "A lot of guys would love to go out with you ‘cause you’re so smart. I mean, I know quite a few guys, especially ones that are struggling in science, who would love to go out with you." "Excuse me, John, but I must be going," she said hastily. She hurried over to where Charles was sitting, watching, her heart thumping erratically. John growled under his breath. His conversation with Ms. Mizuno didn’t go over so well. He’d have to try Charles next. He groaned inwardly. He DID NOT want to face that self-absorbed president, with the distinct talent for making people like him. ‘Well, onto plan B.’ Serena yawned as she listened to the various girls try out for Beatrice. Most were juniors and seniors, but there was a sprinkling of sophomores. Raye and Serena were the only freshmen trying out. Both received quailing looks from their elders, but Raye sat serenely through it all, shooting back a few murderous glances herself. Serena paid it no attention whatsoever. She sat in her chair, trying to learn what to do by watching the others, but all gave Beatrice the same rendition, sappy, air-headed and fawning. Benedick was already pretty much decided. He was a junior, named Alex. He was a hot guy, blonde, with a devil-may-care look in his intense green eyes, tall, and solid. His rendition of Benedick was good, with the careless air. Unfortunately, he was a real ladies-man. Girls liked him, and he liked girls. He couldn’t give his part the "I-will-never-marry" air it needed. One by one, all of the girls tried out. It looked as though it would be the most popular girl in school (surprise, surprise), Alison Shiratori. Most of the people who had been watching had left by now. It was finally Raye’s turn. She stepped on the stage with confidence. She delivered her lines with a cutting edge. This was a different type of Beatrice altogether. People listened, enthralled. She would be great for the part. Serena watched longingly. She was absolutely certain that Raye was going to get the part now. She was happy for her friend, but deep down inside, she wished that she was Beatrice. Then Benedick announced that he had to head home. He was late for football practice. "Could we have a stand-in Benedick, please?" asked Mr. Higashi. No one volunteered. "Anyone?" One could almost hear the crickets chirp. "Ahem, excuse me, sir," Charles whispered in Mr. Higashi’s ear. "I might be able to get a stand-in for you." "Great, Fujimatta." Charles grinned. He wove through the auditorium, backstage where he knew a certain black-haired and blue-eyed senior was dying to play the part, especially when a certain, pretty, blond-haired meatball-head was playing his opposite!