17Chapter Five: The Meeting
"OH MY GOODNESS!" Darien said breathing heavily as he sat straight up in bed. He looked around the room and was struck with panic. 'Did I put myself in my bed?' he looked around once more, 'Oh no!' he remembered, 'it can't have been real!'
He quickly jumped out of his bed and did a quick run around his hotel room. Sighing he stood in the middle of the lounge area and breathed heavily. It was very quiet, and he could hear something faint, 'wh… what is that beautiful tune?' he asked himself as he followed it. 'It was like an angel was humming, but there was a tune, and it was so familiar to him… but… where. Where had he heard it from?' but before h could think any more of it, he stopped dead in his tracks.
He arrived back in his bedroom and noticed the balcony sliding doors were opened. 'How could I have missed this?' he asked himself. But he took steps further until he passed the threshold outside and stopped breathing; standing absolutely still.
There was a long silence, but Darien begun to start breathing very slowly. He couldn't think of anything to say or do. What was he to do at a time like this? It was… he didn't know… was it who he thought it was? He didn't know. For all he knew it could have been a cleaning lady in free dress using his room… spying on him… but then stopped humming and begun to turn around.
"Oh," she whispered, smiling wide, "it's you!" she started to giggle. Slowly she started to step forwards towards him, but Darien noticed she looked scared and stopped. Her full focus was on his expression.
'But why is she scared?' Darien thought. Then he realised it, he was scared as well. 'My expression but be scaring her,' so he took in a deep breath and closed his eyes for five seconds. "Please," he said slowly, "don't be scared of me." He then took another deep breath and exhaled; slowly opening his eyes to look at her expression.
He noticed she was now smiling again, "You… you do know who I am right?" she looked at him; worry was over her face, sadness even. She let her body slum again the railing of the balcony next to her and she stared at him, "You have got to remember me!" she said softy as she left her face fall down.
Darien stared… he did know who she was, but he couldn't… he wouldn't believe it. But watching her killed him… her hopes where put in the fact that she wanted him to remember. He took another deep breath and exhaled, "Serenity?" he whispered as low as the wind itself.
"OH MY!" she jumped up, and ran to him, "You remembered," she yelled giddily, wrapping her arms around him tightly, "You remembered," she said again softly into his ear.
Darien however stood perfectly still. He did not expect this sudden change in her emotions, nor the contact between them.
"Are you alright?" she asked slowly as she felt his heart beat, and breathing fasten.
Darien could just mumble… it was all too much. No girl… no woman in their right mind would smother themselves on him. No. no one would! "How…" he started… but he couldn't get it out.
"How what? Darien?" she looked at him worryingly. "Hmm…" she looked back into the room, "come lie down! It will be good!"
Darien let her push him back into the room and on to the bed. He was frozen stiff… these things just never happened~! Never! But as soon as he was on the bed, he seemed to have let himself go and his breathing became ever so slower.
He noticed the girl ran away from him once he hit the bed. "Hey... hey!" he tried to yell… but it came out as mere whispers.
"DON'T TRY TO SPEAK!" he heard a faint voice yell out. Before he could think anything of it, she was back again. She jumped on the bed and straddled him, placing a cold clothe of sorts on his forehead, "that must be better now," she smiled, "just breath… maybe try closing your eyes and focusing on something that makes you happy."
Darien done as he was told and let himself slip even more into the coconscious.
Gasping, Darien realised he had fallen asleep and found himself already off the bed and up against the wall. Looking around eerily, he heard the television blabbing about something mushy… but there was also a smell of food… 'foooodd,' Darien found himself slurring as his stomach made grumbling sounds. 'How long was I out for?' he asked himself as he looked at the bed side clock… 'Didn't I wake up at this time? Wait… no… I couldn't have…' he started to walk out of the room, 'remember… oh no… please don't be true. Please don't be true!' he kept saying to himself…. But he stopped mid thought when he saw her. And for the first time, he actually saw her. 'Serenity,' he gasped as his eyes rolled over every inch of her.
She was sitting cross legged on the floor in front of the television. Her golden curls were splashed around her. He noticed she was wearing a white dress of sorts, and what he thought he heard were sobs.
"Are… are you alright Miss?" he asked her quietly trying to not upset her more.
"Oh!" she gasped and turned around quickly. "This movie! Such emotions!" she sighed deeply with gratitude for being able to feel.
Darien however, was drawn back. Her pale complexion illuminated her baby blue eyes and candy pink cheeks. But he stopped on her lips…. The very lips that caught him in his dreams… snapping out of it he looked at her overall appearance. "How did you get here?" he finally asked without hesitation.
She stopped her sobbing and looked down on the floor. "I don't actually have nay recollection… I just remember falling on top of you… and you fainting… and well… ha-ha… I don't know," she sighed, "I was kind of hoping you had an idea… I don't remember ANYGTHING from before then… but…" she paused shyly, "I do remember you!" she said coyly.
'Of all things to remember,' Darien thought to himself.
"Well… I thought since you remembered me, and called my name… you may have had more ideas as well… but I guess… I don't know…"
"Well not to worry, I guess…" Darien sighed, "What are you eating?" Darien looked at the table in the middle of the room.
"Oh!" she smiled wide, "it's called… 'Room service!' very nice people!" she laughed, "They said all this stuff was good… and I figured you had to wake up soon after a 24 hour sleep… and I was right!" she giggled, "your stomach is talking! Come sit! This one is good!" she pointed to a pancakes stack, "Especially when you drizzle this sweet sweet stuff on it!" she poured nearly half the jug of syrup on the plate.
"Umm…" Darien watched in amusement, "That's pancakes, and you're pouring way too much syrup on them!" he laughed, "Too much sugar is bad and unhealthy."
She paused and looked at him, "pancakes? Syrup…" she bit her lower lip, "what is unhealthy?" she tilted her head at him in confusion.
Darien sighed and shook his head, "I really don't know," he laughed, "everything now days… but being unhealthy is… well…-"
"Being like those people?!" she cut him off pointing at the television, and spread out magazines.
"No… well yes… no…" he sighed, "it's when you eat a lot of bad stuff… more then you're supposed to."
She laughed at him, throwing her head back, "You're funny Darien!" Darien just looked at her. She came back and looked at him… "Is that why you're not eating it?" she gasped, "should I not eat it?" her eyes were wide and scared.
"No, No! You're allowed," he pressed, "Just I need my morning coffee to wake up first before I eat."
"Coffee?" she scrunched her nose at the term, "what is that?!"
Darien looked around the room in hopes Room Service brought some up; "Ah!" he got up quickly, finding a tray still on the bench. "This… it's what some people drink to wake up… or energy… I don't think you know it… but it's full of caffeine." He poured a cup for himself and brought it back down to where he was before, taking a big gulp, he couldn't help but notice she was staring at him with her mouth open. Totally intrigued by the process.
"is… is it good like this stuff?" she motioned to the table full of food."
"Well…-"
But before he could do or say anything to her, she had already brought the cup up to her lips and took a gulp. Darien however laughed. She had the coffee in her mouth with her cheek bulged… her eyes were bulged as well. "Are you alright?" he asked between his laughter.
Swallowing it all, she slammed the cup down on the table and pilled the pancakes into her mouth, "THAT'S SOOO GROSS!" she mumbled between munched. "How do you drink that awful stuff?" Munching away on the pancakes her face was serious, eyes dated at him.
"I didn't make you drink it," Darien started, "and you didn't give me time to say it was sweet!" the more he talked the more her eyes went into slits.
"That's horrible!" she said firmly, "I declare it is unhealthy! So, no more for you!"
"Wha-"
"Besides!" she said cutting him off, "I'm board! Let's go out!" she jumped up and twirled around.
"What! No!" he said grabbing her by her shoulders, "Serenity right?"
"I like Serena here!" she glowed happily.
"Alright… well we can't go out… you're… wearing… we… out there… no!" he said firmly. He had no idea why he was trying to keep them here. But there was a part of him that did want to go out.
"I think," Serena started, "you don't like going out!" she smirked, "besides, you're right! Look at me! This is all I have!" she motioned to her dress, "and I took the liberty of going through your wallet, and I found these awesome plastic cards! The room service man said they have credit on them… and he said the pretty gold one was suppose to be UNLIMITED! So we are perfectly right to do shopping!" she smiled widely! Giggling she jumped around.
Darien just stared at her. 'She went through my wallet?' he thought… 'She knows about credit cards!' Darien found himself getting light headed again.
"OH!" she paused, "and… no offence, but I was board and looked through your cupboard and bag… But you got no clothes either… And well… what you're wearing… just no! It won't do!" she smiled again, "LET US GO NOW!" she pulled on his wrist.
"How do you know about clothes?" Darien just said as he tried to stand firm in his place.
Serena however; still held his wrist but paused, thinking. "It was on that moving screen! They had pretty ladies and all! They called it 'fashion!'" she laughed. "I want to be fashion too!" she smiled at him, "they also had boys like you on there too! Wearing 'fashion' too!"
Darien looked around the room and sighed, "Let me grab my stuff," he said as he looked around the room for his wallet and phone.
Serena's eyes widened and a huge smiled broke through, "YAY!" she clapped. He watched him search for whatever he was looking for. "What are you looking for?"
"My wallet and phone," he said lifting cushions and rugs.
Serena gasped, "Well I got all those shiny cards from that black thing over there!" she pointed to a side table at the front entrance. "Maybe that… phone? Is with it too! By the way… what is a phone?"
Darien moved quickly to the side table and found his wallet… but no phone. Looking at her he answered, "Well it's a cell phone. People call you up… makes a noise when someone does try to call-"
"OH! Something that makes music? I found this little device this morning!" she moved towards the trashcan, "it made weird noises, it had a lot of buttons too… but no matter what I pressed it wouldn't stop… then I pressed this one… and a weird voice came through!" she opened the lid, "that thing!" she pointed to it.
Darien was looking at her mortified. Running over to her he grabbed his phone and looked over it. "Did the voice say anything? Did you say anything back?" he stared at the screen trying to get up caller history.
"'Darien! Darien! What is happening? Hello!' that came through… and I was scared, and I yelled at it," she paused, "I said, 'Go away! Stop making noises!' and then I threw it in here." She smiled pointing at the bin again.
Darien just shook his head, then shock set in. 'Whoever it was now knew I'm with a girl,' he thought as panic shot threw him. 'OH NOOO! Who rang?' he search the phone. When he got what he was looking for he stook absolutely still.
"are you alright?" Serena said as she came up behind him, "Andrew," she read the phone screen. "who is that? Is he a friend of yours?" she looked at him.
"Umm… yeah…" he swallowed, "good friends… work together too…" he breathed in and out. 'Of all people. He must think I'm lying to him… something bad!' he thought.
Sighing, Serena took the phone and made him look at her, "hey! Don't worry about this thing!" she shook between two fingers, thinking it was something dangerous, "We have shopping to do! Remember! And I'm not giving this back until we have sufficiently done, and gone shopping!" she said with justice, and conviction.
"But!"
"But nothing!"
"How do you know such large words," Darien sighed, knowing he had no chance of winning.
Serena looked at him… whatever he was saying he was doing something, and he wasn't walking through the door outside. "Okay mister! Let's go!" she yelled happily like a three year old. Tugging on his hand she pulled him out of the hotel room and into the elevator.
"So… do you even know where we are going?" Darien asked shyly, backing into the corner.
"Yes!" her eyes went wide. "I ask Alfred where some good shopping-"
"Who's Alfred? Darien cut her off.
"The doorman!" she said rolling her eyes, as if he should have known. "but as I was saying," she glanced daggers his way, "he said that there was a HUGE shopping complex a couple of streets that way," she point in the general direction, "as well as some parks and markets, and oh!" she sighed dreamily, "he said there was the best ice-cream store that way too in one of the parks!" she laughed happily.
Darien felt himself getting dizzy. She had so much energy, and he was like a couch potato! When the elevator stopped on ground, Serena grabbed Darien's wrist and pulled him out.
At first Darien was shocked to see the expressions of people's faces pointed towards him; but he soon became scared. He had am image to uphold. An image of being the lonely nerd who had no time of day for pretty maidens. Yet, there was, being dragged like a dog by a goddess. 'My Goddess,' he found himself saying mentally. He couldn't help but notice how her grasp on his wrist was so light yet so powerful; compelling him to follow her, even to the depths of hell if it were. But his eyes trailed up her arm; drowning in the sheer beauty of her lily white skin glowing in her happiness.
"Darien?" he heard his name… the voice was… concerned.
"Wha-?"
"Oh my goodness!" Serena started, "don't go dreaming while I'm talking to you!" she placed her hands on her hips and was looking at him. "Do you have any idea how frustrating that is?" she furrowed her brows.
Darien just looked at her, "err… no, sorry," he took his off her as soon as they met hers. Looking around, he noticed they were now standing at the very front of the hotel.
"Sorry," she scoffed, "well for that you are buying me ice-cream!"
"I was-"
"shhh!" Serena went off, "The park is this way!" she threaded her arm through his and starting making them walk off down the road.
"Can't we just drive?" Darien started, "and didn't you want to go shopping first?"
Serena stopped mid-step and looked at him, "yes! Shopping it!" she looked back, "well it is still this way! Besides…" she leaned in, "On TV… I saw all those contraptions," she pointed to the cars going past, "they all blew up!" her eyes widened for a dramatic effect, "so there is no way I am getting in one!" she then started to stomp away trying to get Darien to move with her.
Darien just gave up and walked on with her. He couldn't help but bring himself back into his dream world of staring at her. The way the bottom of her dress tangled around her legs as the wind played. Her stepping was delicate and precise… like she was dancing. 'And yet she is walking with me,' he thought as he found them slowing down.
"Are you alrigh—" Darien's mouth dropped when he saw where they had stopped. He took a side ward glance at Serena and found she looked like she was dreaming.
"Oh my! So pretty!" she grabbed Darien's arm again and dragged him into the street of shops. "Oh! This was the one Alfred suggested!" she said amazed, "let's go!" she pulled them into the store.
"Welcome guests," a lady at the front said as they walked in, "would you like any help today?" she smiled widely.
"Yes!" Serena busted out walking towards her.
"Alfred, from Raffles L'Ermitage suggested you guys for us," Darien said politely pulling Serena back from freaking out the lady.
"Oh!" the light lightened up, "We received a message from his just before explaining we were about to get two very special guests!" she smiled widely, "if there is anything you would like, please don't hesitate to ask!" she smiled, "we can even provide you and your… partner this evening a consultant each if you'd wish?" she asked.
Serena just looked at Darien with puppy dog eyes, biting her bottom lip, "Please," Darien nodded, "but, we only need one, just for her," he motioned towards Serena.
"NO!" Serena said firmly, "you need to get out of this awful style of yours," she turned to the lady, and leaned in towards her ear, "is it possible to get him into a mirror-less room or something and get someone to give him some fashion advice? And so on, please?"
The lady looked drawn back, but she smiled none the less, "certainly miss," she looked between the two. Taking a noticeable deep breath, she grabbed the phone at her station and said something lightly over the speaker.
Within minutes two ladies came rushing to their sides. "good-day," the ladies said. They were both dressed in black business suits with tape measures and what not attacked to belts of sorts.
"These are our best consultants, Jane and Margaret," the lady at the service desk said. "Please have a lovely time at our store," she smiled.
"Hello," Serena stepped forwards and read the name badge of the woman in front of her, "Jane," she smiled, "take me to the dresses! Oh and the shoes!" she said joyfully.
"Certainly miss," Jane bowed her head, "this way," she started to walk away, and without a second glance, Serena ran off with her.
Darien just started at the ground, "And what interests you sir in this store?" Margaret asked patiently.
"Not much, to be honest," he said trying to find contact with her eyes.
"Not to worry," she smiled, "if I can bring you to the men's section, I'll get started with the girl's request," she motioned her hand towards the direction of the men's area.
Darien just looked at her, unsure, he followed her anyways. 'It's not like I have anything else better to do,' he sighed to himself. Within seconds he was standing in the middle of a wooden floor room surrounded by rows of suits. Swallowing he glanced at the women… who now had another woman next to her.
"This is Wendy, your dress-maker this day. She is just going to take your measurements, and then we shall find you some suits and clothes that will fit," she smiled.
Swallowing again, Darien just nodded and closed his eyes.
Author Notes:
Obviously as you can see, and rather unfortunately, I didn't get to finish the story - between uni exams for the first two weeks, and then working, plus being lazy xD I didn't get too much time. BUT not to worry! I am dead set on a roll... so far, and I majorly wanna finish this story so I can go back to my others, since I dont like start somthing without finishing. SO expect more updates throughout December... and HOPEFULLY, since i really want it finished then, it SHOULD be complete before x-mas! 3 take care guys!