Title: Surprises: Part One
Author: Melancholy Moon
 
Disclaimer:  I don't own Sailor Moon and friends, but I can dream, can't I?  Also, I don't own 
Fazoli's, even though I'm probably their VIP customer.  I love their cheesecake!  Anyway, before I digress further,
here's my story!
 
Author's Note: This is the first time I've submitted a fanfic, so I'm really excited.  Oh yeah, I need an editor who can 
help give me some ideas, too.  If you'd like to apply or if you any flames or praises, e-mail me at 
usagi1ab_13@yahoo.com !  Also, arigato Nicole and Stephanie for giving me so many good ideas, and to Ash for
 making my V-day as special as Serena's.
 
Surprises
 
    It was the day before Valentine's Day.  Who cares is what I thought.  I hated Valentine's.  Not the idea, don't get 
me wrong, it sounded very romantic.  I hated it because I was lonely.  I never had someone to spend it with.  Only I 
thought that this Valentine's would be the worst ever because all of my friends were spending it with someone special 
while I sat at home watching TV.
 
    Amy and Greg were planning to spend a "romantic" evening at the library, Raye and Chad were going to a concert, 
Mina and Andrew were going out to dinner, and Lita and Ken were going ice skating.
 
    I was so depressed.  I would have gone shopping but I was sick of seeing hearts and cupids in all the store windows 
and all of the couples walking hand in hand.  Can you believe it?  Serena not shopping?
 
    I slipped into a restaurant with the hope that food would cheer me up.
 
    "Hey, Meatball Head!"
 
    "Oh god, not him." I whispered.  I sat in the closest booth hoping he'd disappear if I ignored him.
 
    Darien walked over to the table that I was at.  Apparently he hadn't disappeared.
 
    "Trying to blend in, Meatball Head?"
 
    I stared at him blankly.  What on God's green earth was he talking about?  He jerked his thumb towards the sign above
 the counter.  It was a Fazoli's sign.  Good job, Serena.  Now he'll make fun of you forever.
 
    "What's the matter, Meatball Head?  You haven't yelled at me to stop calling you that."
 
    I didn't even feel like yelling at Darien.  I must be really depressed.
 
    "Nothing's the matter.  So, what brought you here?"  I asked trying to change the subject.
 
    I swear he almost had a heart attack.  He was expecting my usual tirade on his lack of intelligence or brain capacity 
due to the factt hat he couldn't realize my name was Serena, not Meatball Head.
 
    "I was...uh..I was just hungry.  Yeah...Well, I...uh...better get in line before it gets crowded."
 
    He practically ran over to the line.  He was completely stunned.  But not as stunned as I was when he came back.  He 
had two plates of spaghetti and meatballs, must have been my cousins, and two slices of cheesecake.
 
    "You're going to eat all of that!?!"  I was one to talk, though.  I usually ate five slices of cheesecake, but that's a different 
story. 
 
    "No, Meatball Head."  He pushed a plate of spaghetti and a cheesecake towards me.
 
    My jaw must have hit the table.  He bought me dinner?  For no reason?
 
    "You didn't have to do that..." I stammered as I started to push it back.
 
    "Sure I did, Meatball Head.  You would have gone ballistic if I ate cheesecake right in front of you," He replied and gave 
me a wink, "So what's up, Meatball Head?  You're not your usual happy self."
 
    I thought I was in some time-warp alternate dimension thingy that Amy had talked about when I asked her what she was 
doing in physics.  Did I hear him right?  Was that narcissistic, arrogant, conceited jerk asking me what's wrong?  Was he 
actually concerned? I wondered if I should tell what was really bugging me.  He'd probably laugh at me.  I decided to try to 
change the subject again.
 
    "So...Darien, what have you been doing?  I haven't ran into you lately, literally."
 
    "I've been around, but you haven't answered my question, Serena.  You can talk to me if something is wrong."
 
    He called me Serena!  This must be some weird dimension I walked into without even realizing it.
 
    "It's nothing to worry about.  I'm okay."  I lied as I finished my dinner.  When I looked up, he looked so concerned, but he 
let it drop.  I never saw him like that.  In fact, I never noticed how handsome he was until now.  His midnight blue eyes were 
so deep you could lose yourself in them.  Then it struck me.  How was I going to pay him back for the dinner he bought me.  
I was flat broke.
 
 
End of part one.