"Hey, Darien! Drive slower! What's wrong with you? You've been fidgety
and subdued all dinner! Talk to me, I'm your sister."
"Uh..Raye. Nothing, I was just thinking of some clients of mine. I forgot that I still had paperwork to do. Very..important paper work."
"Uh huh. Don't give me that bullshit, Darien. You never do paperwork at home and you never do them at night, because you're such a goddamn hard worker that you never have to! Now, tell me, right now, what is wrong with you, or I'm going to karate chop all the way to Japan!"
"Raye, stop being so nosy. I was just thinking of stuff. No biggies. Alright? Just, just drop it."
"Darien. Don't do this. Don't play the mysterious and quiet crap on me. I wanna know, and I want to know right now!"
"Alright! I...I went into your roommate's room."
"Oh...so?"
Darien brushed a hand frustratingly through his hair. He knew that his sister wouldn't understand.
"Nothing. I just went into her room."
Raye was confused. Her brother had gone into her roommate's room, so what? It's not as if Sere talked to him because if they had talked, she would have heard conversations going on. Twirling an escaped strand from her ponytail, she contemplated the importance of such a one-sided meeting. Obviously, Darien is deeply affected by Sere. Suddenly, she understood.
"So, you went into her room?"
"Yes."
"You saw her?"
"Yes."
"Did she see you?"
"No."
"Why?"
"She was asleep."
"She was?"
"Yes."
"She looks like an angel when she sleeps. Doesn't she?"
"Yes."
"Well, Darien. Looks like you've got a crush!"
By the time Darien realized what he said, it was too late to recant his words. It was awfully embarrassing to speak to his sister about his special one-sided moment that he had with her roommate. For goodness sakes, the girl is eight years his junior! That's almost a decade!
"Look, Raye. I don't want you to look too much into this, ok? Odds are, I'll never meet your roommate again. She obviously hasn't met me and probably doesn't want to anyway, alright? So..just drop it."
"Ok."
"What?"
"I said 'ok'."
"I know you did. What's the catch?"
"What catch?"
At this point, Raye was batting her eyes innocently at her suspicious brother.
"Raye..don't you go all Shirley Temple on me. I know you're not innocent and you never will be. So cut the crap and tell me what the turning wheels in your head are telling you to do."
"Geesh, Darien. You have quite a temper. But, if you must know, I have nothing going on in my head and the wheels aren't telling me anything."
"Alright...just so long we're clear. This conversation never happened."
"Ok. But, Darien, what's so wrong about Sere? She's smart, athletic, popular, *beautiful*, as you have noticed. Why not date her?"
"Look, I'm not the type to date girls eight years my junior, alright? That's...that's just too far apart."
"No, it's not. Look at Mom and Dad. They married when Dad was 30 and mom was 21. Nine years apart and they're still going strong! Our family is an exact and incontrovertible proof of that. You can't deny it."
"Look, Raye. I'm 27. I'm still young. I'm successful. I don't need to date your roommate, alright?"
"Fine. But you're missing out."
"Just drop it."
"Alright."
The car ride went silent from then on. Neither spoke a word yet the other knew what was going on in the other's mind.
'Like hell I'm going to drop it.'
***********************
I woke up from my sleep and stretched my bunched muscles in my back. The hunched form I've been in for so long put quite a bit of tension of my muscles. Stretching slowly, I got up from my chair and walked to my bed, ready to turn in for the night. I was about to get in when my senses started trying to tell me something. There was a heavenly smell of male cologne in the air, and I was deeply enamored by it. Sniffing the air, I sighed at the wonderful smell and wished quietly to myself before the sandman took me away that the smell would stay in my room forever.
***********************
"Well, Darien. I'm here. This is my dorm. Goodbye."
For some odd reason, Darien didn't want to leave, despite the late hour. He wanted Raye to invite him in for coffee or tv, or anything to get into the dorm. Raye somehow read his mind.
"Wanna come in for some soda?"
Soda is good. It wasn't on his list, but it'll do.
"Yeah. Soda's good. I'm parched."
Raye knew for a fact that her brother is not 'parched.' He had drunk a glass of wine and 6 cups of ginger ale during dinner. In fact, she was surprised that he hadn't needed to go the bathroom yet.
"Well, I'll get the soda. You sit down, or look around if you like! Yeah, look around!"
Darien didn't respond and his feet started moving around the small dorm. His feet wondered in circles, yet he knew that they weren't going in the direction he wanted them to. Knowing that Raye will be busy in the kitchen, he left himself walk to his wanted direction. His feet wandered to Sere's room.
At first, looking in the room, he was disappointed that she had disappeared and was no longer sleeping at the desk. However, going further into the room, he saw a bundle on the bed and realized she had moved to sleep on the bed.
'Smart move.'
Walking quietly to the edge of the bed, he met the back of her golden head and his hands itched to reach out and touch the silky strands. This time, his mind dared him to and he accepted the dare. He reached out and touched her golden strands. At first, gently and modestly, touching her hair only in the places closest to his hand. However, he slowly grew bolder and started brushing her hair from the top of her head to the end of the strands. He did this many times and marveled each time at the smoothness of the hair.
******************
In the back of my mind, I was suddenly aware of a new feeling on my head. Something was brushing my hair and I didn't completely unwelcome it. It was a nice feeling and it almost lulled me back to sleep before my curiosity won the better of me. I let the hand brush my hair a few more times before I started twisting my body around to look at the owner of the hands. Immediately, I felt the hands retract and I yelled desperately quietly in my mind for them not to remove them and leave. I wanted them to stay.
The only way to catch a glimpse of the fleeing intruder was to turn around quickly and so I did. I was suddenly met with a pair of dark blue eyes.
*****************
"Oh god."
She was more beautiful than before. With her crystal blue eyes open to me, finally, I was able to take in her entire beauty.
However, my awareness of the situation woke me up and I fled from her room. I saw her hand reach out to grab mine, but I couldn't let her hold me. I don't know what I would've done if she had touched me. I probably would've jumped in bed with her and showed her exactly how much she has affected me.
"Darien, soda's ready!"
Dimly aware of Raye's yell, I rushed out of the dorm and down the hallway, just catching the elevator. I knew that Raye would ask about my sudden departure later, but right now, I just didn't have the right mind or strength to answer her questions. I needed to leave and I needed to breathe.
*********************
"Darien? Gosh, he just left! The nerve of that cad.."
"Raye? You're back? How was it?"
"Sere! You're still awake! It's late, you should go to sleep. I'll tell you tomorrow."
"Was...was that Darien?"
"Well, Darien was here. Did you meet him?"
Raye prolonged each syllable of the word so that she wouldn't scare Serenity away. She needed answers and she needed to know what caused her brother's sudden departure.
"Yeah..I guess. He...he was standing by my bed, brushing my hair. It was...odd...but...good, ya know?"
"Sere.."
"I'm tired. I'm going to sleep. Good night Raye."
Serenity walked back into her room and closed the door behind her. Sighing in defeat from the awkwardness that she received from both parties, Raye slumped down into a chair and sighed.
"Uh..Raye. Nothing, I was just thinking of some clients of mine. I forgot that I still had paperwork to do. Very..important paper work."
"Uh huh. Don't give me that bullshit, Darien. You never do paperwork at home and you never do them at night, because you're such a goddamn hard worker that you never have to! Now, tell me, right now, what is wrong with you, or I'm going to karate chop all the way to Japan!"
"Raye, stop being so nosy. I was just thinking of stuff. No biggies. Alright? Just, just drop it."
"Darien. Don't do this. Don't play the mysterious and quiet crap on me. I wanna know, and I want to know right now!"
"Alright! I...I went into your roommate's room."
"Oh...so?"
Darien brushed a hand frustratingly through his hair. He knew that his sister wouldn't understand.
"Nothing. I just went into her room."
Raye was confused. Her brother had gone into her roommate's room, so what? It's not as if Sere talked to him because if they had talked, she would have heard conversations going on. Twirling an escaped strand from her ponytail, she contemplated the importance of such a one-sided meeting. Obviously, Darien is deeply affected by Sere. Suddenly, she understood.
"So, you went into her room?"
"Yes."
"You saw her?"
"Yes."
"Did she see you?"
"No."
"Why?"
"She was asleep."
"She was?"
"Yes."
"She looks like an angel when she sleeps. Doesn't she?"
"Yes."
"Well, Darien. Looks like you've got a crush!"
By the time Darien realized what he said, it was too late to recant his words. It was awfully embarrassing to speak to his sister about his special one-sided moment that he had with her roommate. For goodness sakes, the girl is eight years his junior! That's almost a decade!
"Look, Raye. I don't want you to look too much into this, ok? Odds are, I'll never meet your roommate again. She obviously hasn't met me and probably doesn't want to anyway, alright? So..just drop it."
"Ok."
"What?"
"I said 'ok'."
"I know you did. What's the catch?"
"What catch?"
At this point, Raye was batting her eyes innocently at her suspicious brother.
"Raye..don't you go all Shirley Temple on me. I know you're not innocent and you never will be. So cut the crap and tell me what the turning wheels in your head are telling you to do."
"Geesh, Darien. You have quite a temper. But, if you must know, I have nothing going on in my head and the wheels aren't telling me anything."
"Alright...just so long we're clear. This conversation never happened."
"Ok. But, Darien, what's so wrong about Sere? She's smart, athletic, popular, *beautiful*, as you have noticed. Why not date her?"
"Look, I'm not the type to date girls eight years my junior, alright? That's...that's just too far apart."
"No, it's not. Look at Mom and Dad. They married when Dad was 30 and mom was 21. Nine years apart and they're still going strong! Our family is an exact and incontrovertible proof of that. You can't deny it."
"Look, Raye. I'm 27. I'm still young. I'm successful. I don't need to date your roommate, alright?"
"Fine. But you're missing out."
"Just drop it."
"Alright."
The car ride went silent from then on. Neither spoke a word yet the other knew what was going on in the other's mind.
'Like hell I'm going to drop it.'
***********************
I woke up from my sleep and stretched my bunched muscles in my back. The hunched form I've been in for so long put quite a bit of tension of my muscles. Stretching slowly, I got up from my chair and walked to my bed, ready to turn in for the night. I was about to get in when my senses started trying to tell me something. There was a heavenly smell of male cologne in the air, and I was deeply enamored by it. Sniffing the air, I sighed at the wonderful smell and wished quietly to myself before the sandman took me away that the smell would stay in my room forever.
***********************
"Well, Darien. I'm here. This is my dorm. Goodbye."
For some odd reason, Darien didn't want to leave, despite the late hour. He wanted Raye to invite him in for coffee or tv, or anything to get into the dorm. Raye somehow read his mind.
"Wanna come in for some soda?"
Soda is good. It wasn't on his list, but it'll do.
"Yeah. Soda's good. I'm parched."
Raye knew for a fact that her brother is not 'parched.' He had drunk a glass of wine and 6 cups of ginger ale during dinner. In fact, she was surprised that he hadn't needed to go the bathroom yet.
"Well, I'll get the soda. You sit down, or look around if you like! Yeah, look around!"
Darien didn't respond and his feet started moving around the small dorm. His feet wondered in circles, yet he knew that they weren't going in the direction he wanted them to. Knowing that Raye will be busy in the kitchen, he left himself walk to his wanted direction. His feet wandered to Sere's room.
At first, looking in the room, he was disappointed that she had disappeared and was no longer sleeping at the desk. However, going further into the room, he saw a bundle on the bed and realized she had moved to sleep on the bed.
'Smart move.'
Walking quietly to the edge of the bed, he met the back of her golden head and his hands itched to reach out and touch the silky strands. This time, his mind dared him to and he accepted the dare. He reached out and touched her golden strands. At first, gently and modestly, touching her hair only in the places closest to his hand. However, he slowly grew bolder and started brushing her hair from the top of her head to the end of the strands. He did this many times and marveled each time at the smoothness of the hair.
******************
In the back of my mind, I was suddenly aware of a new feeling on my head. Something was brushing my hair and I didn't completely unwelcome it. It was a nice feeling and it almost lulled me back to sleep before my curiosity won the better of me. I let the hand brush my hair a few more times before I started twisting my body around to look at the owner of the hands. Immediately, I felt the hands retract and I yelled desperately quietly in my mind for them not to remove them and leave. I wanted them to stay.
The only way to catch a glimpse of the fleeing intruder was to turn around quickly and so I did. I was suddenly met with a pair of dark blue eyes.
*****************
"Oh god."
She was more beautiful than before. With her crystal blue eyes open to me, finally, I was able to take in her entire beauty.
However, my awareness of the situation woke me up and I fled from her room. I saw her hand reach out to grab mine, but I couldn't let her hold me. I don't know what I would've done if she had touched me. I probably would've jumped in bed with her and showed her exactly how much she has affected me.
"Darien, soda's ready!"
Dimly aware of Raye's yell, I rushed out of the dorm and down the hallway, just catching the elevator. I knew that Raye would ask about my sudden departure later, but right now, I just didn't have the right mind or strength to answer her questions. I needed to leave and I needed to breathe.
*********************
"Darien? Gosh, he just left! The nerve of that cad.."
"Raye? You're back? How was it?"
"Sere! You're still awake! It's late, you should go to sleep. I'll tell you tomorrow."
"Was...was that Darien?"
"Well, Darien was here. Did you meet him?"
Raye prolonged each syllable of the word so that she wouldn't scare Serenity away. She needed answers and she needed to know what caused her brother's sudden departure.
"Yeah..I guess. He...he was standing by my bed, brushing my hair. It was...odd...but...good, ya know?"
"Sere.."
"I'm tired. I'm going to sleep. Good night Raye."
Serenity walked back into her room and closed the door behind her. Sighing in defeat from the awkwardness that she received from both parties, Raye slumped down into a chair and sighed.