Teacher Teacher!

Hi! I AM going to finish this story! I AM going to finish this story!

Just not in this chapter... or maybe even for a few chapters. But don't worry! It won't be one of those 19 chapter long things. I know how taxing it
can be to start reading those. But I also know how rewarding it can be when you get to the end, and it was well written and generally awesome.

Food for thought.

I would rate this in advance, chapter by chapter, but you're at aff.net, so you're expecting smutt at some point. I doubt you'll be shocked and
offended when it happens. It may, or may not happen in some form, in this chapter. Enjoy! ~.^


Disclaimer: Its not mine, mm'kay? And I also don't own 'Hello Kitty' either, or any other business or item I talk about by name that is trademarked.

Just don't sue me!


Serena managed to survive the rest of the school day. As she sat in her last class, her thoughts drifted to a certain raven haired teacher whom she
held responsible for the worst first day of class that anyone has ever had.

Most teachers, like the one of the class she was in now, didn't prepare a huge assignment on the first day. They did the "My name is --- What is yours?"
introduction.

"Baka..." she muttered. That seemed to be the word of choice when thinking about him. She would be the first to admit, that had things
not gone as they first did with Darien, she would be lusting after him like the rest of the female student body. She knew Rae would be. For some
reason, she was suddenly glad that Rae didn't go here. 'What? Shake off those thoughts, Tsukino! You're not some drooling moron!'

'Um... since when? Isn't that exactly what you were, ARE, over Andrew?' An inner voice that sounded mysteriously like Rae chimed in. 'Great, so now
even my inner voices are insulting me like she does?' Serena rolled her eyes at her own foolishness. She suddenly thought about what Mr. Baka said
about Andrew and his girlfriend. 'Was he serious?' She wondered. 'Well, I guess he really doesn't have a reason to lie to me...' Her heart sank.

'Why didn't he say anything? Oh he was so delicious... he must of been having to fend women off all the time! Why didn't he pick up that I like
him?' Her eyes watered a little at the loss of her dream lover. He did seem kind of oblivious before... but now that Darien spilled the beans
that she liked him, she wondered if he would avoid her now? She wondered what kind of a woman Rita was.

'She must be beautiful...' She thought back to the previous day when she looked her self over in the mirror. 'I was only kidding myself... He'd never
go for someone like me.' She was really down in the dumps now. The last bell of the class rang, and her heart sank even further when she thought that
everyone else got to go home but her. No one else she knew of had gotten a freaking detention on the first day!

She waited until the mad rush of humanity was out of the door so she wouldn't get trampled. As she walked out into the hall and turned to go to his
classroom, what she saw nearly made her heart stop.

Andrew.

Andrew was here, in the hall.

Andrew was here, in the hall, smack in front of Mr. Baka's class talking to him. Thankfully Andrew's back was to her, but she was pretty sure Darien saw her.
'Well of course he is here, idiot. They are like best friends or something... and this is Darien's first day. What kind of friend would Andrew have been
if he didn't support his best friend on his first day?' Serena kicked herself a little 'Stop doing that! Stop making everything he does seem fantastic!'
She made a mental note to talk to Mina later. After all, Mina was the love guru. Some would argue Rae was. 'Rae is more of a lust bucket.' Her mind
quipped.'Or even a dumpster!' She made herself laugh out loud and quickly regretted it. Andrew started to turn around.

Serena was caught like a dear in the headlights, waiting her torturous emotional death at the hands of her former dream lover.

"Hey though, Andy!" Darien quickly said. Something inside him wanted to spare the little klutzoid further humiliation. Had he known she was just a high
school kid yesterday, he may have treated her differently. 'How so, asshole?' His smug inner voices were mocking him as well. 'You treat everyone that way.'

Andrew's attention returned to Darien. "Yeah?"

"I have a student coming in a few minutes, so I'll have to talk to you later. Thanks for stopping by, man." He held out his hand, attempting a manly
handshake seeing as how there were still people about. He had to maintain his image, you know.

"What? A handshake? You HAVE been away too long!" Andrew wrapped him up in a big bear-hug. "You know I love you, dude. I think we're beyond handshakes
by now!" He squeezed Darien who wheezed in response.

He saw her seeing him and couldn't fight the blush. 'That's all she needs. More ammunition.'

'Cute!' She thought, followed by 'What the fuck? Cute? You need food girl! This is the same ass who humiliated you!' She nodded her reassurance.

The voice that was starting to sound like Rae popped up once again. 'Um, he just kept Andrew from seeing you! I think that was a little redeeming. Which,
by the way, HIDE YOU BAKA! He's going to turn around eventually!' She shocked herself out of her daze and quickly ran to the bathrooms just up the
hall and hid.

After Andrew put him down, Darien said goodbye and sent him on his way. "I'll catch you later, ok?"

"Ok! I work tonight, so come by the arcade!" Andrew smiled. "Um, I don't know. I think a lot of my students go there..." Darien thought of Serena in
particular.

"Oh come on! One time won't kill you, and I doubt the recognize you enough to remember right away!" Andrew was whining now. "Come on, pleeeeeease?"

Darien rolled his eyes and finally caved. "Ok, but I'm leaving if I get even one "Hi, Mr. Shields!"" He mocked in a high pitched girls voice.

She was suddenly overcome with he feeling he was mocking her! "Baka!" She muttered. 'Like I would say hi to him!' Then the thought of seeing him in
public again hit her like a Mack truck and the memories of his attitude rushed back to the forefront of her mind. She was mad all over again.

"Ok, Andy. See you later!" Darien was practically pushing him down the hallway. After he got him out the side doors of the building, he came back
to his classroom to find it still empty. He had assumed Serena would have come out of the bathroom by now. She had to have seen Andrew leave.

He sighed and went back out to the now ghostly empty hallway. "Ok, come out now. You still have a detention, remember?" Serena stomped out of the bathroom.
She was still fuming.

He entered behind her and closed the door.

"You can have a seat." He motioned.

"Ok. So what would you have me do?" She snapped.

'What? Have her do? Am I supposed to have her do something?' He quickly wondered.

She caught on to this quickly. "Oh god, you don't even know what you want me to do while I'm here?! What the fuck!" She stomped a foot and crossed her arms
in disgust. He looked at her, surprised.

"Wow, klutzo. I didn't know you had it in you. I figured you to be more innocent than that." He laughed at her. Inwardly, he supposed he shouldn't. The
school day was over, but he was still at work. 'Shape up, Shields... She is innocent. Seventeen, remember?' He had looked up her birth date along with her
first name. 'Serena... serene... haha! Hardly!' He remembered thinking. 'Still, though... its a beautiful name.'

"What? Innocent? What's that supposed to mean? I'm just as edgy as any girl my age!" She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"What the hell, klutzo! Are you bipolar or something? Why do you just change moods like that on a dime?" He glared back. He couldn't help himself. She may
have been a schoolgirl, but she certainly had a mouth on her.

"Bipolar?! I'll show you 'bipolar,' baka!" She got up in his face. "I was in a perfectly FINE mood until I remembered I had to come in here and be stuck with
you! I COULD be out with my friends having fun, but NO! Big Mr. BAKA had to "make an example" out of me!"

"Like I said, kid, you didn't leave me much of a choice!" He shouted back. Her attitude was making his blood boil.

"Everyone defends you like that! God! I just don't get it! No one FORCED you to be an asshole!" If she clenched her fists any harder, he thought her fingers
were going to break. "And I am NOT a kid!"

"Yes you are." He said, more to remind himself than her. He imagined she was pretty aware of her age. "You are far too comfortable with me, you know that?"
His eyes narrowed. She could feel his 'stern teacher' thing coming back with a vengeance.

"If I hadn't met you yesterday, we probably wouldn't even be here right now, and I could be with MY friends who I haven't seen in ages! But no, I have to be
stuck here with klutzo."

"I'm not comfortable with you in the least! You make my skin crawl!" She didn't care anymore if he gave her one thousand detentions. "And WHY do you HAVE to
call me 'klutzo?'"

"Do you talk to every man like this, klutzo?" He asked her, ignoring her question.

"Just the BAKAS!" She replied.

He knew he shouldn't say what he was about to, but he couldn't help himself. He was finding himself like that a lot with her.

"Well, I can tell you, you'll never get a man with that attitude. BUT," He shrugged. "I guess if you keep flashing them like you're flashing me now, then you
may scrounge up something. But I can promise you, he won't be worth much." He had noticed some time ago that he could see straight down her shirt. What?
He WAS a man. She was, after all, quite a bit shorter than him, and her uniform was so baggy, and was it his fault if she was unaware of her appearance?

'You're aware of it enough for everyone, lecher.' He scolded himself.

"W-what?" She was a little dumbfounded. 'Flashing? What?' she couldn't wrap her thoughts around it. So, she just stood there, again, like a dear in the
headlights.

His eyes narrowed and he took a step closer to her. All the inner voices in the world were warning him against what he was about to do. 'Danger, danger!
Student, remember?' They sounded. But once again, something in him just HAD to do it.

He reached out and flicked the bow on her uniform top. "Your uniform. Its too big for you. I can see down your shirt. And you call me baka? At least I wear
clothes that FIT." He smirked.

"What?! Hentai!" She shrieked as her hands flew up to her top, pressing it against her tightly. A fierce blush swept through her cheeks. "If it bothers you so,
then just don't look!"

"What? That's ridiculous! That's like asking me not to breathe!" The last sentence flew out of his mouth before he could stop it, but he quickly recovered.
"I'm tired of this. And I'm tired of you. Get a more appropriately fitting uniform." He warned. He also took this chance to get away from her.

"I can't!" She pouted. "This was the smallest one they had..."

"And how is that my problem?" He headed over to his desk.

"well, APPARENTLY asking you not to be a pervert is like 'asking you not to breathe!'" She threw his words back at him. It was his turn to blush now.

"I simply meant that men cannot just 'not look' like women can. Didn't your mother teach you these things?" He sat at his desk, growing uncomfortable with
this entire conversation. But still, she persisted.

"You're just a pervert! No other guys have said anything about it!" She said, triumphantly.

He shook his head. "You're such a fool. Of course they won't
tell you about it. They WANT to see down your blouse!" He realized he couldn't end this conversation, so he decided to escape it.

"So you admit, you were looking!" She could see she was pushing his buttons.

"What?! No!" He stood up from his classroom desk and decided to escape to his office. "I'm done with this ridiculous conversation! Do you freaking homework
or something!" He pointed to one of the desks.

"Fine! ... pervert!" She shouted after him as he slammed his office door.

He heard her, but at this point he really didn't care. He wondered if she was even really aware of how her clothing fit her. He sat at his office desk and
looked at her through the window to the classroom. She angrily got out her book and other various items.

He watched her for longer than he intended. 'Ok, what the fuck, Darien.' He caught himself. 'You need to get laid. When teenagers start looking good, you
need to get laid for sure.' He shook his head. He thought back to yesterday in the arcade, when he didn't know how old she was.


He had been walking up the street to his old hangout as a teenager. Crown Arcade. The thought of it, and of his friend, made him smile. He and Andrew
spent a lot of time there as kids. Now Andrew worked there while putting himself through school. Darien was luckier, if that's what you want to call it.
He had a trust fund that paid for his school. But he only had that due to his parents early demise. Lucky... right.

He saw the arcade from a distance. It had a bigger sign than he remembered. He saw a few people go in and out. He overheard two boys talking about
some hot girl in there. He rolled his eyes. Once you've seen one, you've seen them all, really. He had yet to find one truly unique woman. Maybe he was
just cynical. He turned to go in the door. It opened, and a familiar ring sounded. It seemed a little louder than before, as well. Then he saw her.

She was sitting on one of the barstools with one leg hiked up on the seat next to her. His breath caught in his throat.

As quickly as the moment came, it was over. She startled at the sound of the bell, spun around and fell face first into the floor. He noticed how
beautiful her hair laid out around her. He waited for her to get up, but she just stayed there. "Um, would you mind moving? You're kind of laying in
front of my seat" He had meant to sound less snide than he did. 'Oh well. Just one more unremarkable woman.' Thinking back to his earlier notion.

He watched as the woman stood up slowly. It was as if she was trying not to shatter completely. He suddenly felt a little bad for her situation.

The whole arcade, Andrew included, was laughing at her. He also noticed how Andrew had still failed to notice him. Andrew may have been chuckling at
the woman in front of them, but he was still very much oogling her. His eyes were glued to her form. Darien let his eyes graze up her as well.

Her shorts were too short. He could have seen her ass if she had bent over. 'Now there's a thought.' She startled him out of his thoughts when she
suddenly stared at him. He could see her anger building. 'But those eyes... Ok, so she's a LITTLE above average. Still, just another pretty face.'

'Why are you trying so hard to not want her, Shields?' He asked himself. 'Its not like it matters. She's just a girl lusting after Andy.' There
were many. He tried to fight the jealousy. Women did want him. They did. They just didn't anymore after he opened his mouth and promptly put his foot
in it. He was beautiful, but he was also too witty for his own good at times. still, he could get some if he wanted it enough. He had thought it over
with this little one. Again, he was back to the thought of her bending over for him.

"Excuse me bucko, but there are a dozen or more other seats in this place. And for your information, creep, that seat you're talking about is mine!"
Her squeaky voice slammed through his head and violently brought him out of his fantasy. 'Ok. Never mind. Not this one. NEVER this one.' She turned her
back to him. Andrew was still watching her.

Then, something about the way she was pouting made him want to torment her. He almost had a physical need to do so. He reminded himself once again why
women didn't want him after he opened his mouth. 'Its your own fault, fool.' He smirked. She was cute. But damned if she wasn't begging for it.
She was palpably livid.

"I was talking about this one, klutzo. And just so you know, creep works fine for a name, but next time you might want to call me Darien." He made
sure to flash as sexy of a grin as he could muster. He could get past her voice if he wanted. And he was begining to.

"I think creep works just fine, Creep!" Her eyes were indeed on fire with rage and embarrassment.

"Well then, Miss., could I have your name? Or would you prefer me to keep calling you klutzo?" He leaned over to her, turning on the charm. She
seemed a little oblivious though. Could she really be that gone over Andy? Speaking of oblivious, he was always horrible at this sort of thing.

It was a miracle he had Rita. He smiled when he thought of Rita. He missed his old friends.

Darien snapped out of his thoughts to see Andrew coming back from storage. 'He must have needed to laugh. He looks like he has been.' He thought.
Andrew's cheeks were red, and that glass he was furiously polishing looked like it was about to break from the pressure. He still looked like he had
some laughing to do.

"You want chocolate or regular?" Andrew asked, still a little choked. When she looked at him she smiled, but she looked like she was trying not to
die on the spot.

Darien just stared at Andrew, willing him to notice him. He was about to just tackle him over the counter if he hadn't finally seen him.

"Darien? Is that you?" Andrew vaulted the counter, looking as if he were going to combust. Darien felt the same inside.
"God Darien, you haven't changed a bit! I can't believe it! Why are you back? Did you finally graduate? Are you staying? Do you want something to
drink? Eat? WHAT?!" He was reaching critical mass.

"Relax, relax Andrew!" Darien laughed. "Calm down. I'm done with school, buddy! I'm home to stay." They hugged again.

"I can't believe this. You know this creep, Andrew?" The woman's voice piped up. Andrew laughed a little, still wise to her embarrassment.
"Well yeah. He's my best friend." Darien thought her lower jaw was going to fall off. Just when he thought it couldn't gape open any further,
she opened it more and shouted. "You jerk! You... you... BAKA!"

She began to storm out of there. He couldn't let her go just yet.

"Don't be so mad, kid. I was just about to leave. You can have your little would-be 'boy toy' all to yourself, klutzo." He looked to Andrew, who
gave him his usual disapproving "did you really have to do that?" kind of look. Yes. Yes he did have to. It was too tempting not to. With their unspoken
language he knew, and Andrew knew, he would see him later.

He started walking out past the woman, who was rooted in place. He really had hoped he would run into her outside. But she just stood there, so he
decided on the next best thing. He made sure to touch her, but when he touched her, a shiver went up his own spine. 'God, you really need to get some,
Shields. This woman is getting you far too revved up.'


He shook himself out of his reminiscing. He looked at her through the glass of his office once again. He could almost see the wheels turning in her head
as she thought over whatever it was she was reading. At least, that's what he assumed she was doing. He was really too lost in his own misfortune.

He was still in shock over how old she was. Barely seventeen. He had even gone so far as to find her birth date to make himself feel better. 'God, I'm such a
fucking pig.' He felt disgusted with himself. He was even more disgusted that after he knew how old she was, for sure, that he started to rationalize it.

Sure, her erratic moods made it easier, but she was still tempting. It wasn't just her looks. He liked fire, and she had plenty.

'Seventeen, Shields!' He reminded himself. He really looked at her again. She had taken off her shoes now and crossed her legs. 'If I lean back I can
almost see right up...'

'What no! Lecher! Pig! Hentai!' He snapped himself out of it. He was sure he wasn't the only guy looking at her in this way. He was a man, for
crying out loud! He could only imagine what she was doing to these poor, hormonal boys. He was nearly twenty-six years old. He should know better. Part of
his mind wanted to use the 'I'm just a man!' excuse, but he couldn't justify it for long. Guilt bypassed it.

There was one thing he just couldn't clear from his mind, no matter how many times he told himself 'Seventeen, seventeen seventeen!'

And that was her bent over. Like how he imagined her in the arcade. His mind had played with that thought for the rest of that day, and right up until
he spotted her in his class. At that point it was gone, but just temporarily.

He tried to shake the thought from his mind by looking around his small, naked office.

He saw the clock and his jaw dropped. "I've been day dreaming for forty minutes?!" He said with unintentional volume. He needed to get away from
his own thoughts. He looked out through the window at her once again to find her looking at him.

Shocked to have been caught, she made a face at him and went back to work.

He decided to end this detention now. It had already been forty minutes, and he wanted to see is friends and stop thinking about her for a while.

He opened the door and nearly scared her out of her seat. He thought she was going to faint from shock. "Jesus!" Came out of her mouth followed by other
various curses. He was just happy she didn't actually fall.

He smirked. "Nice save, klutz. I thought for sure you were done for."

She glared up at him. "Well, Mr. Baka, that was no thanks to you!"

"Mr. Baka. That's funny." His smirk widened and he let himself laugh a bit.

She watched him laugh and could barely fight a laugh of her own. Other people's laughter had that effect. It was contagious. 'Maybe he's not that bad.'
She absently thought, until he opened his mouth to speak.

His laughter stopped suddenly, and his face abruptly changed back to that damnable smirk.

"That's funny considering who its coming from." He narrowed his eyes.

Her stifled laugh was instantly squelched as well. She narrowed and followed suit. "When can I leave, Darien?"

He looked at her for a moment, but longer than he had intended. She glared back. It seemed no matter what look she gave him, he had a hard time
tearing is eyes away from her.

"Go." He smirked again, and decided then that he would limit his contact with here. 'That should take care of it. I'm just horny. I need to get laid.'
He repeated that to himself for the rest of the evening.

"Forget about tomorrow. This was too dull for its own good." He walked back to his office, waving her off over his shoulder. He went and sat down
at his desk, pretending he had things to look over. 'Its the first day, idiot. Like she'll buy it that you have papers to grade!' He rolled his eyes at
his own foolishness. 'Since when he hell do I need to justify my actions to someone I've known less than a day?' He reinforced himself with pride.

"What?!" He heard her shout. "I'M boring?! You were the one hiding out in you office, watching me like a hawk!"

He thought he was going to have a heart attack. She knew he'd been watching her. Well, if she could play that game, then so could he!

'Me, watching you? You did your share of watching, klutzo." He reminded her.

She blushed again, and chose to ignore those words. "I don't know why you have it in for me! Andrew likes me! Why can't you just lay off?! I've known
you for a day and I regret it! I don't know how you managed to get someone like Andrew to put up with you!" She had followed him into his office and
slammed the door, for dramatic effect, she supposed.

"Look, I've had enough of you to last a life time. Please, just leave. You are dismissed. I just want to get the hell out of here already. I thought this
was supposed to be a punishment for you, but now I know its more taxing on me just to be near you." He tried to eat those words back up after he'd said them.
But the alternate meaning of that sentence seemed to be lost on her.

"Oh you're such an ass! Baka, baka, BAKA!" She shouted at him. "You seem to be running out of insults, klutzo." He stood up and started gathering his things.

"Oh I've had it! I am so out of here!" She threw her hands in the air, giving up this argument. She turned to open the door. "Oh and I WILL be here tomorrow!"
She grumbled. "Too dull for detention? BAKA!" He heard her as she left the room.

He breathed a deep sigh of relief. He didn't know how much more of this he could take.

By the time Serena got home, she didn't much feel like going out with her friends. "Forget it!" She told them collectively over Rae's phone.
"I'm just too tired. The new History teacher really has it in for me!"

"Well its not like you don't deserve it, meatball head!" Rae scolded. "From what Amy said, you brought it on yourself! Its too bad, too. He's totally hot!"

"What? How do you know that?!" She was dumbfounded. "How did you know he was hot?" She doubted Amy said anything of the sort.

"What? So you think he's hot too, meatball head?" Rae seemed to be baiting her.

"Where are you...?" She asked dangerously. If she could reach through the phone and throttle Rae, she would have. "Oh... at Crown..." She said casually.

"Maybe I should tell your hot teacher you think he's hot too? It may do some good, buttering him up and all..." Rae teased.

Serena thought her head was going to explode. "If you do that then so help me Rae I'll-"

"You'll what? You're not even here... Hey Amy, what's his name?" Serena heard Rae talking to her. Rae was actually going to do it! She didn't know if she could
ever face him again if she did.

"Oh my god Rae don't!" She whined. She could feel the tears coming.

Rae could hear them coming as well. "Oh don't cry, meatball head! Come down here and stop me if you don't want me to!"

'Oh. She's just trying to get me to come out.' Serena finally realized. She sighed. "Fine. But do you really have to call me that all the freaking time?" She
was worried Darien would hear her and start using it too. Though, it would be a nice break from "klutzo."

"Great, and yes I do! See you in a few!" Rae sounded giddy, which made Serena worried.

They hung up, and all she could wonder was what Rae was planning. 'She's up to something... I just know it!'

She changed out of her uniform and looked at the top. "Can they really not help themselves?" She asked no one.

Then, she got a wicked thought. "Well if that's true, then Andrew can't help himself, either!"

She went to her closet and picked out the lowest cut shirt she had. It wasn't anything like some of the stuff she'd seen in Rae's closet, but it wasn't bad.

It had 'Hello Kitty' on it, though. She thought it over. "What am I going to wear with it?" Still, talking to no one.

A skirt seemed out of the question. "Too obvious." She said while flipping through clothes.

"Aha!" She had found what she was looking for. Tight, tight jeans. Ass-huggers, if you will. "My secret weapon! Every girl's got 'em!"

She wiggled them on and they were, indeed, tight, tight jeans. She looked at her ass in the mirror and winked. "Perfect!"

She still didn't know about the 'Hello Kitty' top, though. Maybe that was just too childish. She could hear Darien making fun of her.

'Well why the hell do I care what he thinks?' She asked herself, while putting the shirt back. 'Its too bright, anyway.' She used that as her excuse to pick
her favorite black tanktop instead.

She slipped it on, grabbed her purse, and away she went. "Maybe I will feel better about this whole Andrew thing if I talk to him!" She could feel the butterflies
in her stomach. What if Darien made fun of her for trying? "He has one type, and her name is Rita." She remembered him saying.

As she walked down the sidewalk, she thought it over more. 'I don't know if I can face him...' And for a brief moment, she didn't know if she was thinking about
Darien, or Andrew. 'Well, I kind of have a reason for both.' She thought.

"I need to talk to Andrew, though!" She said out loud, hardening her resolve. "Darien be damned!" She nodded.

"Well that's not very nice, klutzo." She heard a familiar male voice.

She looked around and noticed she was about to walk past the arcade all together. And who should be standing outside, but her new arch-nemesis.


"Oh god... its YOU" She hissed, glaring at him.

He smirked back at her, thankful that she was in her own head as she approached. That gave him plenty of time to look her over and get it out of his system.

"The feeling is mutual." He winked.

'He's in kind of a weird mood.' She thought. 'Maybe this is just how he is outside of work?' "Still a baka!" She finished out loud.

He turned back quickly to who it was he was talking to, and she used this opportunity to sneak inside, until she saw who that other person was.

Her jaw hit the pavement. "MINA!" She shrieked.

Darien and Mina both flinched. She turned around. "Oh hi Sere!" Mina tried to hug her, but Serena was frozen with disgust. "What the fuck?! Why are you
talking to HIM?"

"Who? Darien?" Mina didn't really know what was going on.

"And you!" She got right right up to his chest. "You leave my friends alone!" She poked him.

He grabbed her hand gently, but dangerously all the same. "We're not in class, klutzo. I don't have to be nice here." He flung it away and stepped around her.

"Class? What?" Mina was confused.

"Didn't you hear my conversation with Rae?" Serena accused. "He's my baka teacher I HATE!" She said 'hate' loud enough so she was sure he heard it.

"Oh. No. I was out here... with him..." Mina's eyes glazed over a bit. Serena couldn't really blame her. As long as he didn't speak, she could probably
stare at him forever, too. She really didn't know why she cared so much about what Mina did, though.

"Well, he's a jerk, Mina. Be warned!" Serena could see Darien grinning at her with smug expression on his face.

She turned and went inside to her friends and Andrew. 'This is going to be fun.' She thought,sarcastically.

After she was gone, Darien resumed his flirtation with Mina. "So, Serena's a friend of yours?" He raised a brow.

"Yeah! I've know her for a few years now, back when I was in school there too!" Mina replied happily, seeming to forget Serena's "he's a jerk" comment.

Darien's thoughts were swimming. 'Of course. She's her friend... Why can't I win?!' Darien grumbled to himself as Mina talked. He wasn't listening. He was
too lost in his own mind. "It freaking figures. I've been back in this down for not even two full days and almost everyone I run into is her damned friend!"

Mina shut up and stared at him. It was then he realized he'd said that out loud. "I- I'm sorry, Mina. I've just had a rough day." He sighed. He really didn't
care too much anymore. He had thought about asking her out, but now when he looked at her, he realized just how much Mina and Serena looked alike. He was
a little disgusted with himself.

"Serena too tough on you?" She piped up, pulling him out of his head. She smiled. "Don't worry. I can tell she doesn't really hate you." Mina felt the need to
reassure him.

"What? I don't CARE if she hates me or not!" He bristled, looking through the glass doors at Serena, still walking over to her friends. He watched her
ass in those jeans.

Mina watched him watching Serena and giggled. "Mmmhm... yeah you don't care at all, eh?" She giggled louder.

Darien blushed. "What?! I don't! What makes you think I do?" He was rambling a bit. He felt close to being figured out.

"Oh you like her. Admit it!" Mina could feel attraction between people a mile away. She poked him, teasingly.

He couldn't help but smile at her playfulness. He could see why Serena was her friend. She was kind of like a female Andrew, except WAY less oblivious to the
world around her. "Even if I did, I can't." He started.

"Well why not?" She pouted a little. She hated to see people give up on something that hadn't even really started yet.

"I'm her teacher, remember?" He grumbled a bit. "Besides, even if I weren't, she's so damned maddening!" He thought
back to Serena's detention earlier that day.

"Yeah but that's what's great about her!" Mina bounced a little, thinking about everything she liked about her friend. "You want to see fire, you should see
her and Rae go after each other!" She giggled.

As Serena walked through the arcade, she didn't see Andrew in sight. 'Thank god.' She sighed in relief. 'I still don't know if I can face him!'

'Well then why the hell are you here?' That mean inner voice said.

'To see my friends!' She yelled at herself.

When she got to her friends' booth, she squirmed her way into the middle and slumped down.

They all looked at her. "Um, Hi?" Rae said, annoyed. "Oh hi." She muttered back.

"If you sit like that, your back is going to warp or something!" Lita joked, and poked her. Serena sat up just enough to see over the back of the booth seat.

She looked outside to where Mina and Darien still were. They were laughing together! "What?! What the fuck does she think she's doing! Aaaah!" Serena was
angry, full of an emotion she was unfamiliar with.

"What are you going on about? She's just talking to him! Why are you so mad, meatball head?" Rae said, smartly. "Is he spoke for, or something?" She grinned.
She could tell by the way Serena was looking at them that she was full of envy.

Serena snapped out of it. "Oh hardly! She can have that baka if she really wants! He's just a mean jerk! I don't want her to get hurt." She finished
self-righteously.

Amy, Ray and Lita laughed. "I don't think its Mina you have to worry about, Serena." Amy calmly said. "Yeah, Mina's usually the one breaking the
hearts around here!" Lita agreed.

"Unless its Daaaarien you're worried about?" Rae teased her.

"Why do you enjoy making these things up? Is that what gets you by? Not enough soaps on, so you have to make your OWN drama?" Serena was proud of her
comeback.

"Whatever! I'm hungry. Who wants something?" Amy wanted to end the argument. She stood to go to the counter.

Serena's eyes lit up. "Food!"


Outside, Darien and Mina talked on about Serena.

"Come on Darien! She's so cute though! And not nearly as innocent as you'd think!" She added with a wink, which got his attention. "What? What do you
mean?" The thought of her being some kind of slut horrified him.

"Oh don't get your panties in a twist!" She pushed his shoulder, playfully. "She's just not quite the naive woman she seems like."

He looked at Serena through the arcade windows. "Its just a little infatuation, Mina." He said, sternly. "I'm a man. I'll get over it."

The last part was more for him, than for her. "I'll get over it." He repeated to himself.

"You're making a mistake, Darien." She warned in an oddly bouncy way. And he shrugged.


Inside, Serena was preparing herself to talk to Andrew. She sat on one of the stools with Amy and waited for him to come over.

"Heya girls!" Andrew was chipper as usual. But he could instantly tell something was wrong with Serena.

"Hello Andrew!" Amy was quickly perky. Andrew had that effect on people. 'Its really no wonder.' Serena thought. 'He's nearly perfect.'

He looked over at Serena. "Hi, Sere." She felt like she was going to die. "Hi." She barely managed to work out. "What's wrong?" He knew, but he still felt like
a crappy friend for not asking.

She raised an eye brow at him and smirked. "Really? Darien Baka didn't fill that in for you?"

Andrew smiled sweetly. "Is there anything you want to discuss?" Because he had no idea what to say. He really had no concrete evidence that she liked him the way
that he now knew she did. But he had a feeling she was already getting over it. He wondered if she knew about Rita.

He smiled at his friend as she shook her head, defeated. "Kind of, in a wanting-to-crawl-under-a-rock-and-die sort of way."

He came out from behind the work counter and sat next to her on one of the stools. "You know I care about you, right? You're like my little sister."

Serena looked a little hurt by the notion, but smiled just the same. 'Some kind of love is better than no love at all, right?' She persuaded herself. "I know."

He stood up. "Friends?" He opened his arms to her, and Serena accepted. His embrace was warm, and kind. It was gentler than she imagined it too be.

She looked over Andrew's shoulder and out the windows to Darien and Mina. Mina was joking with him, touching him. They were both smiling and laughing. Inside she
felt a little jealous. "Why can't he be that nice to me?" She muttered absently.

"What?" Andrew asked, thinking she was referring to him. "I didn't think I was being mean. Serena, please don't think I hate you or something!" He looked like
a hurt puppy.

"What? No!" She didn't know she had made that comment out loud. "I was talking about them." She gestured outside to Darien and Mina. "They're getting along
great." She said with disdain. "I don't know why he can't just be that nice to everyone!" She pulled away from Andrew, and crossed her arms.

Andrew smiled his usual, friendly smile. "Darien is... kind of hard to figure out sometimes. He used to tease and harass me when we were kids, you know?" He
said, a bit lost in sudden nostalgia. "Really?" Serena didn't believe him in the least.

"But one day he just opened up and that was that. I really don't know what changed in him." Andrew snapped back out of it a bit. He knew how his friend
operated. "I think maybe he was just tired of being alone." He looked over at his friend through the glass.

"He doesn't really know how great of a person he is." Andrew spoke with sudden seriousness, still looking at Darien. Serena smiled. "And I don't think you
know how great of a friend YOU are, Andrew."

They both smiled. "And now that we have all of that out of the way, do you want a milkshake?" He asked, and her eyes lit up. "Hell yes, I do!" She was happy once
again, her feelings of embarrassment almost gone. 'I wonder if there really is anything that's not perfect about him...'

He went back around the counter and started on her order. "Anything for you, Amy?" Amy smiled, happy that they worked things out. "No. I just wanted to make Serena
talk to you." Serena blushed lightly. "Amy! I can work my own problems out, thanks! I made it here, at least, didn't I?"


Outside, Darien had seen Serena and Andrew talking. "I hope she's got it all out of her system now." He said to himself.

"Well, I don't think she really LIKE-liked him to being with." Mina answered absently. "He's one of those big brother types, you know? I think she really just
wanted a man to talk to. She doesn't have that much."

Darien continued to watch them through the window. Andrew was looking at him with conviction, saying something to Serena that made her look at him as well.

"what do you think they're talking about?" He asked.

"From the looks of it, you." She answered. "Its getting a little chilly. I'm going to go in now. It was nice talking to you!" She winked at him, and in she went.

He watched Mina join her friends, and decided to join his. His intentions were to spend the evening with Andrew after he got off from here anyway. He followed
her inside.

Andrew was heading back around the counter. "Anything for you Amy?" Amy looked a little lost in thought, but she seemed to always be thinking. She looked up and
smiled. "No. I just wanted to make Serena talk to you." He saw Serena blush, which made him smile.

She looked embarrassed. "Amy! I can work out my own problems out, thanks! I made it here, at least, didn't I?"

Any laughed. "Only because Rae threatened to tell him out cute you thought he was!" She giggled, and Serena looked like she was about to die. Darien just
stopped and listened. They hadn't even noticed him yet, with the exception of Andrew, who hadn't quite realized what was going on.

"Hey, there was no threatening! And I'm sure Darien Baka knows how hot he is! He's still an ass!" She snapped back, getting redder by the second.

Something came alive inside him, and he couldn't resist. He stopped behind her and leaned down, bracing his hands on either side of the counter around her.

He let his lips graze her ear while he whispered. "I hope you're not replacing Andrew already. I thought he was so perfect?" He crooned.

Serena's face went white as a sheet. "You... are such... an ass." She muttered.

"Yes, but at least I "know how hot I am."" He teased her, and pressed closely against her back. She visibly stiffened. "And you seem to have a pretty good idea
too." He chuckled and pulled away suddenly, taking the seat next to her.

Andrew's face crinkled a bit. "Darien! Do you have to tease her like that? I mean, really?" He gestured to her. She was bright red, and still stiffened.

She glared her eyes over to Darien. "You are such a jerk, Darien Baka."

He smirked back. "I thought it was "Mr. Baka?"" He teased.

"You would know! Baka!" She shouted. Her embarrassment was still clear. "You two, just calm down!" Amy pleaded.

She turned to Amy. "Well this is your fault too, big mouth!" Amy's eyes widened. "Well, I-"

"Oh stop! I've had enough for one night! I just can't take this kind of abuse!" Serena spun around on the stool and stood up.

Darien started clapping. "Nice dismount, kluzo. I think you've finally mastered the bar stools!" He had to admit, that was a rather cruel reminder of yesterday.

They all, Serena included, glared at him for that one. Andrew shook his head, and Serena said nothing as she left. Tears burned her eyes.

'No. Don't cry here. Don't let that ass have the satisfaction!' She stomped out of there. She didn't really know why she was so upset. So she klutzed out
yesterday, what else was new? She just hated the way he teased her. 'I don't care WHAT Andrew says! That man does not have a nice bone in his body!'

She stormed down the street, finally letting herself cry.

"Darien what the hell?!" Andrew yelled at him. "I thought she was exaggerating about how mean you are, but now I don't know what exactly you're playing at."

Darien tried to seem like he didn't care. "Hmm? What are you going on about?" But his friend could see right through him. "Don't do that. Not to me, Shields."

They looked at each other. Darien knew he was in trouble when Andy called him 'Shields.' Still, he maintained his cool facade.

Amy, and the rest of Serena's friends were glaring at him as well.

"Darien, backroom." Andrew motioned to the storage closet. Darien complied and followed. He could feel the eyes of her friends on his back like daggers.

"What?" He said, feigning boredom.

"What the hell is wrong with you, man? I can't even tell what you're doing? Do you like her, or hate her? I'm just as confused as she is." Andrew poked him.

"What? You're making it sound like I slapped her." He rolled his eyes.

"You might as well have. You don't know her like I do. You don't know how seriously she takes things, Darien." Andrew crossed his arms, and turned away a
little. Darien sighed. "Come on, man. Don't be mad. I'm sorry, ok?" He hoped it would be better now.

"What? Why are you sorry to me? I'm not the one you humiliated. And besides, which is it?" He demanded.

"Which is what?" Darien pleaded. He hated Andrew being mad at him.

"Do you like her, or hate her? 'Cause damn, man." He face him again, giving him a look of disbelief.

Darien still looked at him like he didn't know what he was talking about, but he had a pretty good idea.

"You were all over her one second, then acting like she was the scum of the earth the next!" Andrew exclaimed.

"Oh god, do you have to be so damned dramatic?!" Darien's cheeks flushed a little. If he told Andrew, then he'd take it upon himself to play matchmaker.
It was a dangerous game he was playing, he knew that.

"Fine, fine. Don't tell your best friend. Its not like I know you better than anyone! And its not like it wasn't obvious anyway." Andrew let him have
his small victory. "At least apologize to her and walk her home, asshole."

He nodded, but still had a feeling he wasn't out of Andy's dog house, yet.

He trudged begrudgingly out of the storage room, past all of her friends who were still glaring daggers at him, with the exception of Mina who winked.

'Weird woman.' He thought absently on his way out the door.

He turned the direction down the street he saw her leave in, and didn't have to go far to catch her. She was sitting on a stoop a block a head. Her knees were held
up against her chest, and her head was down.

He became uncomfortable as he approached her. 'I really am an ass, aren't I?' He cursed himself. "Hey." His voice came out louder than he intended, making them
both jump.

She looked up, startled. "What the hell do YOU want?" After realizing who it was, she quickly wiped her face.

'Oh hell. She was crying?' He shook his head. "You really are more sensitive than I though, aren't you?" He tried to smile a bit, but he still felt like
a jerk. He sat on the stoop next to her.

"Whatever." She muttered. "I've known you for a day, and I feel like I could hate you for the rest of my life. I think that says more about YOU
than how "sensitive" I am."

Damn. She had him with that one. She had him, and he felt it sink in. "I'm sorry." He muttered, without really thinking. 'That really does say quite a lot
about me. And it doesn't help my case that only Andrew can put up with me.' He though about college. No real friends there. No real girl friends, either.

Just 'fuck buddies.'

'Whatever that means.' He thought, coldly.

"I'm sorry." He said again. "Look, I have an idea."

She looked at him flatly. "Good for you."

He smirked a bit. 'She's feisty.'

"Anyway, I'm Andy's friend. You're Andy's friend. It doesn't mean we have to like each other." He began.

"Ok. Clearly, genius." She stood up and started walking away. He stood, and followed her.

"Come on now, hear me out!" He snapped a little. "You don't have to be so damned defiant." He rolled his eyes.

"Well, you don't have to be an asshole. Or, maybe you do. Maybe its written into your DNA or something. Some "asshole" gene." She walked on.

He grumbled. "Whatever. Just listen. I think we should try to get along for HIS sake. Got me?"

"I'm listening." She glanced at him.

"Ok, well, I think we should just bite our tongues around him and keep it civil, for his sake. That doesn't mean we have to be best friends, or even like
each other at all." He looked at her with the last sentence to gauge her reaction. she glanced at him, but quickly away. The faintest hint of red twinged
her cheeks.

"Fine with me. Do you promise, though? This isn't some cruel trick?" She wondered.

"How could I make this a cruel trick?" He reasoned.

"I don't know. I'm sure someone like you could find a way!" She snapped.

"See? That. There. That's what I'm talking about. Reign it in a little!" He snapped back.

"You said around Andrew. You said nothing about just us." She quipped.

"Is it ever going to be "just us?"" The sudden seriousness of his question made them both blush and avoid eye contact.

She didn't answer him. "This is me." She motioned to a house they had come to. "Thanks for walking me home." She said politely.

"Um, yeah, no problem." He felt awkward. "Don't worry about the detention tomorrow." He reminded her. "I... um, have plans with Andy."

"Ok. Goodnight." She quickly escaped to the depths of her home.

And there he was, blushing and awkward like a kid. "What the fuck... "Just us?"" He cursed himself. "You're such a moron, Shields."

~~~

Wow. So that was kind of a long chapter. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Chapter four is on its way. Oh, and please review!
I like to know what you all think about it. Besides, if you don't, then I won't know what's wrong with it to fix it for later chapters.

Love,
Eve