STAR CROSSED: Part 2: Friendship

	Serena was walking home.  She was happy, the birds were singing, the sun was smiling, and all was right in the world!  Not to mention she 'might' have a new crush.   She smiled as she walked, humming the star locket tune and swinging her bag in time until she reached the arcade and entered it with a hiss of the automatic doors.  
	"Hey Serena!  Come to try and beat your best score?" asked Andrew.  
	"Hi Andrew!  Yup!  No one better mess with my game again, cause if they do I'll just have to pulverize them with an even better top score!"  She said excitedly, boxing with the air.  
	Andrew laughed in his usual, cheery way.  "Good luck Serena!"
	Serena sat down at the Sailor V fighter game machine and leaned her bag against the side of it, still humming her song.  She rolled up her sleeves and plunked a quarter into the slot, immediately losing herself in the game.  Her locket song seemed to give her good luck because soon she was three levels ahead of her usual mark and racking up the points.  She didn't notice that a crowd had formed behind her.  She didn't notice that Darien was among them.  All she knew was the song she spun in the air and the enemies that appeared in front of her two-D Sailor v self.  She did notice however, when she ran out of quarters.  There was a collective moan from behind her and she turned to find everyone in the arcade, all the regulars, and several people from the streets filling the arcade to the brim.
	"Ahh!  Where'd you all come from?!" she cried as she fell off the stool.  Someone helped her up from behind.  "Thanks." She said and turned to see Darien grinning at her.  
	"You're pretty good, huh?" he asked teasingly.
	"Darien!  What are you doing here?" she asked surprisedly.  The throng of people was all ready starting to disperse and she gathered up her things.  
	"I saw the crowd and wanted to know what was happening.  When I finally made it to the front, I saw it was you!  When did you get so good at Sailor V, meatballhead?"  
	"Don't call me that!  I don't go around calling you flower-boy or something!" she said angrily.
	"Hey, I'm sorry!  It just slipped out ok?" She looked at him.  Darien seemed really sincere and his eyes tore into her heart.  She turned away.
	"Alright, but remember that ok?" she asked and stepped outside humming the star locket tune.
	Darien froze.  "That song..." he whispered, eyes wide.  
	"Darien, what's wrong?" asked Serena.
	"Where did you hear that song?" he asked seriously.  The song that echoed in the background of every dream of his princess...  
	"Why?  What's so important about it?" she returned.
	"Just... Just do me this one favor ok?" 
	"Well... alright." She gave in reluctantly and pulled the locket out of her pocket.  "This was given to me by someone I really care about, a long time ago.  It's very old."  She said lifting the top gently.  The light and music flowed over their faces seemingly as one.  Darien stared at it, his face growing paler by the second.  Serena abruptly closed it and Darien sunk to his knees.  Memories only split seconds long flashed before his eyes.  The moon kingdom, the silver millennium, the queen, the princess, Beryl, the war, their deaths, the locket.  
	"Oh my god..." was all he could utter before he fainted. 
"Darien!?" cried Serena.  She kneeled down beside him and put his head in her lap, one hand on his forehead, the other checking his pulse.  His temperature was normal, but his pulse was racing!  'What could be wrong with him?' she wondered.  'His heart's going a mile a minute...' she paused and took her hands off his head.  'I'd better get him to his apartment.' She thought and quickly slung his arms around her neck and proceeded to drag him to his apartment. 
 Serena hit the elevator button with her elbow and leaned against the wall.  'Only a little bit farther...' Darien sure did weigh a lot for such a skinny guy.  'Must be all muscle or something...' she laughed at the thought.  The doors hissed open and she slung him across her neck again, stepping up to his door.  She managed to open it with the keys from his jacket pocket and set him down on the couch.  Then she went into the kitchen and fixed some tea to find some tea for when he woke up.  
When Darien opened his eyes he was on the couch in his apartment.  He could smell tea and turned his head to the left, seeing Serena pouring a cup of the bittersweet drink.   She looked up and smiled, seeing that he was finally awake. 
"Hey Darien!  About time you woke up!  How are you feeling?" 
"Pretty good.  What happened?  The last thing I remember is you closing your locket!"  He lied.  The last thing he remembered was a thousand years ago... 
"I closed my locket because you looked really pale, then this look went across your face and you said 'oh my god' and fainted dead away!  I carried you all the way here.  Oh!  Have some tea! It'll wake you up a little more!"  
Darien took the steaming cup from her and drank almost all of it.  "Ahh.  That's really good meatballhead!" 
Serena blushed slightly. "I'd better go home."  She said standing up.  Darien started to get up to, but she pushed him back down with one hand. 'She's much stronger than she looks.' He realized.  "Oh no you don't.  You get some rest and I'll come back to see you tomorrow ok?"  She kissed him on the cheek and raced out the door, calling goodbye over he shoulder before he could see how many shades of scarlet her face had just turned.  
Darien stared at the door and raised two fingers to his tingling cheek tentatively.  "She kissed me..." he whispered disbelieving to the air.  

Lita sat in a window booth at the café eating cherry pie a la mode.  She stared out the window hoping to see a cute guy who looked like her old boy friend.  Then she saw Serena and waved her in.  The door opened with a jingling of bells and a moment latter Serena joined her in the booth.  
"Hi Serena!  What's happening?  You look exhausted!"
"Gee, thanks." Serena said dryly.
"No, really!  What happened?"
"Well you see, I kinda have this maybe new crush right?"
"Is he cute?" Lita's reflexes asked immediately. She pictured someone who was a cross between Andrew and Tuxedo Mask.
"Stop that! And yes, he is cute.  But that's not the point."
"It isn't?"
"No, see, he was sick and I helped him right?  But then, before I left, I kinda...kissed him." She said softly.
"Wuh-hooo!!!!!!" cheered Lita.
"Nothing like that!! Just on the cheek!"  She said blushing.
Lita laughed.  "So what's the problem?" 
	"I said I'd come back tomorrow and we're supposed to hate each other!  I mean, I can't just" 
	"Whoa, back up there a minute.  Hate each other?  The only two people I know whom you hate are Melvin and Darien and Melvin's with Molly so..." she trailed off for a minute before realization crossed her face. "Darien?! No way!!" 
	Serena only nodded glumly and looked away.   
	"Why so sad?  This is great! Come on!  We're getting you a new outfit for tomorrow!" Lita cried and dragged Serena out of the shop, throwing some money on the table.
	@>---->-----2 hours, one phone call and almost 100$ latter.... -----<-----<@

	Serena looked at the outfit one more time in the mirror before she put it away.  It was a white zip up hoodie, a pink v-neck T-shirt and a very cute blue mini-skirt. (I don't like this outfit, but it was on a card so...shrugs)   
	She was pretty happy with it actually.  Serena climbed into bed, scratched Luna's ears and pulled the sheets up under her chin, smiling faintly before falling to sleep. 
	The next day was Saturday.  Serena woke up at ten and stretched lazily.  She was about to go back to sleep when she remembered she had to go see Darien.   She hopped out of bed, ate and got ready for the day in record time and headed out the door for Darien's apartment.  
	Serena took a deep breath and knocked on the door.  "Hey Darien!  You awake yet?  I'm here!" she called loudly.
	Darien checked his hair one more time in the mirror one more time and opened the door, smiling.  "Hey Serena, come on in!" he said cheerfully.
	"Thanks!" she replied flopping down on the couch.  "Oh hey!  Sailor V II: Return of the Moon!  I can't believe you have this on home video!  I've been dying to see it!" she said excitedly.
	"We can watch it if you'd like.  That is, if you don't have plans with a boyfriend or something?" he asked looking at her out of the corner of his eye.
	"Oh no, no boyfriend yet.  I'd love to watch this with you though!" she replied excitedly.  
	"Great!" Darien popped in the video and sat down next to Serena.
	The previews came on first (duh) and then the movie started.  Half of the time Serena cheered wildly, Sailor V being her hero and all.  The other half she held a pillow in front of her face and ducked under Darien's arm, peeking out from behind the pillow.  
	"Ahhh!  Yesch, That's one huge ugly monster!" she cried pulling the pillow in front of her face again.   Darien smiled.  He absolutely loved this.  Being close to Serena, Serena being close to him, the movie, Serena, did I mention Serena?  He couldn't have had a better Saturday.   But all too soon the movie was over.  Serena stretched and padded into Darien's kitchen. "What've you had to eat today Darien?" she called into the living room.
	"Uh, a bowl of cereal, some milk, soup, a can of pop and some crackers.  Why?" 
	"I was thinking that you need to eat more!  Come on, I'll take you grocery shopping and we'll go out for a shake afterwards, ok?" she suggested, coming into the living room again.
	"Whatever you say Serena." He said smiling, and pulled on his jacket as they left.
	Darien switched one of the over stuffed bags into his other hand, which was also full of bags.  "Do I really need all this Serena?" he asked her.  She was smiling even though her arms were also full of bags.  
	"Of course you do!  You need to eat more, look how skinny you are!  Besides, now I can chow down while I watch the rest of your movies!"
	"Oh.  Ok." Replied Darien as they entered the café and placed the bags under the table.
	"Hey Darien!  Hi Serena!" came the cheerful voice of Lizzie, Andrew's little sister and waiter.  "Oh!  New outfit Serena?  I love it!"
	"Thanks Lizzie!  Are those new shoes?  They totally suit you!"
	"Thanks!  So, are you two gonna order or what?"
	"Yup!  I'll have a double-decker hamburger, two large fries, and a super-sized chocolate shake!  How about you Darien?" 
	"Uhh... I'll just have a vanilla shake..." 
	"Alright!  Be back in a jiff!" Lizzie said cheerfully as she headed into the kitchen.  Their food came quickly and they dug in.
	"So," Serena started the conversation again. "What are you doing tomorrow?"  
	"Not much, why?" Darien asked, naturally inquisitive.  
	"Well, I was thinking we could go to the carnival tomorrow!  It is the last day and all.  Unless you'd rather go with your girl friend or something?" 
	"Oh, I don't have a girlfriend." Darien said quickly.  "I'll pick you up at 10 am tomorrow?"  
	"Alright!" Serena agreed.  'He doesn't have a girlfriend?  This is perfect!' "I'll help you take all this food back, but then I've got to go ok?"
	Serena helped Darien get the food home and put away.
	"I'll see you tomorrow!" Serena said as she gathered her things.
	"See you tomorrow!" Darien returned, and just as she was about to leave, he kissed her on the cheek. "Bye!" he called.
	"Bye Darien!" she called back as she stepped into the elevator. 'He kissed me...' was all she could think.  Serena was walking on air, she was so happy she thought she might burst.  'He kissed me!  Does that mean he likes me?'
To be continued:  STAR CROSSED 3: Romance