Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Highest Expectations ❯ I have to praise you ( Chapter 2 )

"The Highest Expectations"

By Holly Go-lightly and Trinsic-X

Rating: R

Chapter One

Chapter One: I have to praise you.

You know we've come along way together,

Through the hard times and the good,

I have to celebrate you baby,

I have to praise you like I should. - Fatboy Slim

I sat there staring idly at my Philosophy book, which I should have been reading diligently. The words just ran together, now meaningless ink on the page. I never understood the need for such things as philosophy or algebra, but somehow I forced myself through them. Work had been slow all night. I suppose I was the only person in the world that needed espresso with the potency of jet fuel after sunset. I had only a measly ten dollars in tips. At that moment, neither tips nor philosophy were my concern. My friend Rei had just called me up to tell me I was going to crash Darien's twenty-first birthday party, and I felt pretty weird about it.

Darien was some friend of Rei's that she had been trying to set me up with for almost an entire month, and so far our meetings had been near disastrous. The first time, I was so wired up caffeine, he thought I was twelve years old. This is the main drawback to working bored and alone at a drive-up espresso stand. I had spent much of the afternoon and evening dreaming up new mixtures of ingredients. The tastiest of the experiments I dubbed the Milky Way - a latte concoction dripping with caramel and vanilla. Pleased with myself, I continued to treat myself to my new favorite drink, peppering my night with shots of espresso. Not only did this do bad things to my bladder, but I was bouncier than usual and twice as vocal about my every need. Not a winning impression, I admit freely, but then again, Darien didn't exactly leave me feeling dreamy-eyed that night either! A group of us sat at the Crown watching him devour some travesty of Swiss cheese, hamburger and guacamole on a bun, followed by a round of mixing together condiments with his leftovers into a greenish-white invention that he proudly proclaimed Ranchamole. In hindsight, not so far off from my escapades a few hours earlier with the latte machine, though not nearly as appetizing. Sure, I thought he didn't necessarily have a firm grip on reality, but he definitely was not a jerk. That is, until I met Andrew. Andrew was Darien's sexually confused, yet ever-present sidekick. We all met at Rei's place one night, and immediately Andrew commented on my clothes (which I can no longer remember), and my hairstyle (which I remember very well). Andrew suggested that my odangos were actually a pair of meatballs perched on top of my head, and Darien rolled on the floor in hysterics. The name Meatball Head stuck, and I was treated to two hours of taunting and teasing by two idiots laughing like hyenas. Charming, to say the least.

So as you can see, I was doubtful about continuing any perusal of this new person in my life. However, I must say that he was rather good looking. His midnight blue eyes perfectly accented short jet black hair that never seemed to fall perfectly into place. His cool calmness and perceived strength had drawn me in at once. I was in the middle of a decidedly naughty set of images in my mind when everything was ruined by Andrew's blatant intrusion into my thoughts, his face puffy and red from laughing so hard at my meatballs. Instantly, I decided that I was going to stay home and study. God knows I needed it. Anything to spare me from that torment. It was at this exact moment that the phone rang.

"Hi. Expresso, Serena speaking," I choked the hated words out as I shook my head, trying to push the image of Andrew braying like an ass from my mind.

"So are you going?" Rei's excited voice replied. She had to be psychic to know I was teetering on the subject just then.

"No Rei," I protested. "I don't feel right about crashing his party, besides I have three chapters to read, and it's boring stuff. You know how I am about school work. I hate it but I've got to try and get my grades up." This was true and she knew it. I just hoped she would accept it as an excuse. "Just wish him a happy birthday for me, okay," I finished.

"I was afraid you might be changing your mind," Rei sighed. "Look I don't have a ride down there, so you have to come. Besides he told me that you didn't have a choice in the matter! You are coming whether you like it or not." Rei said it with so much finality, as if she had already won. When had I become an object with no choices of my own?

"Why?" I yawned. I was not going to let her drag me around against my will.

"Why what?" Rei asked back. She had a frustrating way of putting me on the spot by answering all my questions with more questions.

"Why would he even want me there?" I asked her, although I was sure it was so he would have someone to tease.

"Geez, Spaghetti Brains!" She seemed annoyed by the question, and her response was so loud that I had to hold the phone away from my ear. Spaghetti Brains? Where had she come up with that one? "Serena you can be so dense! He likes you!" she finished. The thought rolled around in my head for a few seconds. If he liked me, he had a really dysfunctional way of expressing it. The entire thought seemed so ludicrous that I was caught off guard long enough for Rei to ask if I was still there.

"Uhm…" My eyes darted around the cubicle on wheels, searching for something familiar. My eyes came to rest on my near empty tip jar. "I don't have any money." I sighed. Sure, I was fishing for excuses, but surely that was one that always worked.

"Don't worry about that! I already have it covered." Rei was ready with any come back now. I was shocked! My fail-safe excuse always worked! I didn't really feel like arguing any more, so I sighed again and poured myself another Milky Way. They really were quite tasty, even if they wound me up like a spring.

"Alright, I'll be at your house at seven thirty." I was defeated. Rei squealed in excitement. Dejected, I set the phone down and barely heard the rest of her tirade about how much fun I was going to have with Darien. Eventually she said her goodbyes, and I absently hung up the phone.

The rest of my night at work was in the toilet. I made a valiant effort to read my philosophy book, but for some reason I was plagued with annoying little butterflies in my stomach. I kept asking myself why, but could come up with no reasonable answer. This guy was a jerk and I knew all he was going to do was sit there and call me annoying names like Meatball HHHHddfead, which was not my idea of a good time. So I decided I was doing this for Rei and no one else. When it came time to close my tiny home away from home, I found myself hurrying to finish and get it over with.

When I got home I showered using my special vanilla scented body gel and washed my hair with extra enthusiasm. My rational mind reasoned that I wanted to look clean. The butterflies instructed me to put on my silky purple bellbottoms and a long sleeved black velvet shirt. As I looked in the mirror to pull up my hair into the usual style, I tried my hardest to ignore the fact that I looked like the ultimate eye-candy. Before I could change my mind on the outfit, I rushed out to the car and drove to Rei's. It never crossed my mind to turn around, as if I was drawn to something I could not have imagined at the time. I suppose always trusting my instincts can be a good thing.

Rei answered the door and whistled at me. I instantly felt overdressed as I took in her jean flares and black t-shirt. The small part of me that cursed my vanity was instantly silenced as I caught my reflection in a sliding glass door. Damn if I didn't look hot!

"Let's get this over with, shall we?" I frowned at Rei. I couldn't keep from thinking that all my preparation would be wasted on Darien and his immature lackeys.

"Okay, your call, but really you shouldn't feel that way," she replied as we walked to my car, crunching the gravel driveway underfoot.

"Right! I'll keep that in mind," I absently waved my hand at her, silently reminding her that I was disregarding whatever she was saying. While my cynicism has always peppered my moods, I actually find it as a great defense mechanism. The small chunks of gravel crunching under my feet gave me a sense of solace as I steeled myself against the farce I felt was coming.

As I drove us to the restaurant where the party was being held, I fought the nagging in the back of my mind that something would happen tonight. Rei chattered on and on about trivialities, but I didn't hear most of what she was saying. When we walked in to the place, I instinctively scanned the room with my eyes. Right in the center of my view stood the perverse Andrew. Around him stood several people I didn't know. I didn't see any sign of Darien anywhere. I glanced nervously at Rei. The guests were strangely segregated; male friends stood at the front, while the girls had congregated in the back. I blinked and realized that I didn't feel like I belonged in either group.

I shed my coat, and then uncomfortably noticed every eye on me. I can't describe how suddenly out of place I felt. So naturally, I just smiled my sweetest smile and tried to ignore their open stares as I sat down. I glanced over at Darien, slumped in a chair at the head of the table, looking as incongruous as I felt. His black slacks and white button-down were complimented by his dark hair, boyishly covering his midnight blue eyes. He looked nervous and almost embarrassed by the congregation around him, as if he didn't know what was going on.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and focused on Rei as she lounged in the high-backed chair beside me, well composed and comfortable.

"Rei, who are all these people?" I asked in a hushed tone, smiling lightly at a brown-haired girl directly across the table from me. Rei bent close to my ear and giggled, as if sharing a private joke.

"That's Zach on the left side of Darien, and next to him is Andrew whom you already know." I groaned unhappily, thinking back to my earlier vision of Andrew taunting me. Rei shushed me and continued. "On the right side is Jason. He's Darien's best friend. Next to him is Nate, and that's his fiancée Carol." I surveyed the ragtag group and my eyes landed on the yet-unnamed brunette across the table. She looked up and smiled a cold, unconvincing grimace. My eyes went wide as the hairs on my neck stood at attention, and my blood felt like ice in my veins. After a quick recovery, I turned back to Rei.

"Who is that?" I asked, and Rei just shrugged indifferently.

"That's Saori," she breathed and didn't elaborate.

"Why does she make me feel like a rabbit keeping company with a hungry wolf?"

Rei covered her mouth, stifling a chuckle.

"She's Jason's ex-girlfriend. I don't know how to describe her, but unbalanced psychopath comes to mind."

I nodded in acknowledgement, making a mental note to never be in the same room alone with the predator across the table from me. In an attempt to clear the unsettling thoughts from me mind, I looked around the gathering, trying to find any characteristics worth noting.

Zach was thin, blonde and already downing his third drink. I couldn't tell if he was aloof from everyone else at the table, or just bordering on drunkenness.

My eyes wandered over to Darien. I had to admit, he looked cute with his chin perched in his palm, smiling, but looking guarded, as if he knew something was afoot. He must have felt my gaze on him, because he looked directly at me. His eyes gaze was electrifying and I had to tear my eyes away before I got lost in those azure depths. He just smiled and turned back to Zach. I shook my head and continued my inventory of his friends.

I smiled as I look at Jason. He was just plain gorgeous. His strawberry blond hair fell perfectly into place, complimenting the spattering of light freckles and confident hazel eyes. I glanced back at Saori, taking in her plump features and lifeless brown hair lying plastered to her head. I tried to avoid her calculating brown eyes as I wondered how she and Jason ever managed to be together.

Nate's deceitful grin belied some imminent prank as he laughed with the other guys around the table. His brown eyes lit up as he broke into an easy smile. A tousled patch of light brown hair finished the look, and as I noticed how gingerly he held Carol's hand, I instantly wished I had the same kind of comfortable yet loving relationship that these two shared.

I instantly noticed Carol's lazy eye, and I admonished myself for being drawn to such a small flaw. Her hair was so dark it looked black in the poor lighting of the restaurant, but her face was alight with friendliness. Her dark eyes watched Nate warily. I glanced back at my Shirley temple, wishing I had vodka in it. I was still nervous, and although I could not hear everything overheard a small conversation about me from the guys at the head of the table.

"How old is she? She looks like she's 16 years old!"

"Nope. She's almost twenty; her birthday's in two days." Darien's cool collected response evoked a tiny smile on my lips.

"Not bad Darien. She's hot! And legal too!"

I felt myself blush involuntarily, and took a sip of my water instead of the grenadine and soda. I could feel Darien's eyes on me, studying my every motion.

"There's something… about her, but I don't know what yet. I want to find out though." Darien's voice again, smooth as silk, as if I was something precious that he was fiercely proud of. Involuntarily, my head snapped up and I looked into his eyes. His gaze spoke volumes, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. Those eyes! I couldn't tear my view away this time, I was enraptured. He blinked, and then smiled in a confused, half asleep kind of way as he turned back to his friends.

Rei and I talked to Saori and Carol most of the night. My eyes kept flicking back to Darien, but I was constantly interrupted by Saori continually talking about Jason. She referred to "Jason and I" so often that I started to think they were still together, or perhaps had just broken up. The cunning look never left her eyes as she spoke. Her reverie was interrupted by a chant from the head of the table.

"Roast! Roast! Roast!" I felt myself sink down deeper into my plush chair. I remembered my mother's roast for my sixteenth birthday, all those silly embarrassing stories, oh man! I closed my eyes and bowed down my head in silent mourning. My heart then stopped as I realized that I would have to say something. I frantically began to wrack my brain for some useful tidbit about Darien that I could use, and of course, came up with nothing.

Fortunately, Darien's friends were not that good about roasting him, and ended up embarrassing themselves more than Darien. My heart went out to poor Carol though as she started her speech.

"I remember when I met you, Darien. Nate and I came down and visited you for a weekend--" Carol would never finish her sentence, as Nate chimed in at the top of his voice.

"Yeah I remember it too! That was the first night you performed oral sex on me!"

My heart stopped in my chest and my mouth dropped open. Carol hit him hard, though I didn't think hard enough! I wanted to hit him too! I think every girl at the table did!

After the laughter from the guys and indignation from the girls died down, the other members stood up, offering their reminiscences and good feelings. Finally, much to my disappointment, it was my turn. I stood up, fidgeting with my fingers. I tried to avoid eye contact as I recited my carefully prepared speech.

"Darien I don't know you well enough to really roast you, but I can help you remember the first time we met each other. Not every educational, unless you consider mixing condiments like ranch and guacamole to make Ranchamole. But I was a little wired too; twelve shots of espresso to be exact, and well, I want you to know it was nice to meet you." I wasn't quite sure yet if that was necessarily true yet, but I had to say something nice. My voice sounded like steel wool in my throat and I berated myself for sounding so childish. I desperately wished I could have thought of something better.

As the night progressed and the party was coming to a close, Darien's drinking-age friends pledged to take him out on a bar hopping extravaganza. Rei and I decided to go out for coffee with the rest of the underage people. I walked up to him, sorry to see him go off, almost hoping for some reason we could actually talk.

"Hi," I said with a shy smile.

"Hi," he smiled back. I tried to avoid the depths of his cerulean eyes, but I felt myself sliding towards them involuntarily. I took a deep breath and focused on some other part of his face.

"I hope you had a good birthday, and be careful okay." Putting a hand on his shoulder, I wanted to hug him, but for some reason I didn't think it would be right.

I don't know if it was because of me, or all the underage friends Darien had, but drinking was put of in favor of going out for coffee instead. As I saw the guys dragging Zach's stumbling form to the car, I smiled to myself. He didn't need anymore to drink. He was already tanked!

We all talked for few more hours at the local all-night coffeehouse. The others shared college stories while Rei and I talked quietly and occasionally laughing at the general idiocy of the situation. Eventually Rei asked me if I was going to make a move on Darien. Naturally, I nearly choked on my coffee and stared into oblivion at an imagined Darien.

"What am I supposed to say? Hi there, would you make love me tonight?" I said, my eyes crossed and my tongue sticking out. Unfortunately for me, as the last part came out, silence reigned and my oblivion happened to be damn close to staring right at Nate. He stared at me with a crazy look in his eyes.

"Me?" He looked truly shocked.

I turned an unlovely shade of fire engine red and looked at all the staring pairs of eyes. If I had wanted attention before, I certainly had it now! Quickly, I cleared my throat, wishing the floor would open and suck me away to safety.

"No Nate! Not you! We were just talking about someone else." Rei rolled her eyes at him, and waved all the onlookers away, nonchalantly glancing back at me.

I was feeling pretty embarrassed at that point and realized that desperately needed a clean getaway from the sidelong glances I was now getting.

"Umm I think we better go home." I announced, standing up and smiling sweetly to everyone gathered around the tables. Rei stood up with me, glaring at me. She never wanted to go home when I decided it was time. To my utter shock, Darien stood up as well.

"Yea, I'd better get going too. It's late and I have work in the morning." He glanced at the now still form of Zach slumped in a booth and grinned at me with a smile that could have melted icecaps. "And uh…. I'd better do something about Zach. He's not looking too good."

Rei, Darien and I dragged Zach out to Darien's car and shoved him in as best we could. Rei ran back to say goodbyes to the others and I found myself staring directly up into Darien's cool blue eyes. His smile was disarming and I imagined myself diving into his arms and kissing the life out of him. The silence grew long, and I shifted from foot to foot anxiously. Who was this person who I had started the evening loathing, and now stood in front of filled with thoughts of passion? I shook my head, trying to clear my liquid thoughts and quiet my treacherous heart.

"Well I hope you had a good birthday!" I said, then smiled. He looked at the ground, his face unreadable.

"I did." His face came up and our eyes met again. I felt so intoxicated by his gaze that I very nearly collapsed into his arms, but I managed to keep my composure.

The silence returned and I was completely at a loss for words, so I just blinked and continued staring into his crystal blue eyes. He leaned ever so slightly closer to me, then caught his breath and stood up straight.

"Well, goodnight Meatball, er I mean Serena. I'll see you again." He smiled and got into his car as Rei came running up behind me.

I drove Rei home, not hearing a word of her incessant babble. When I was alone in my car again, I proceeded to berate myself over and over for not kissing Darien when I had the perfect opportunity. When I dragged myself into my dim apartment, a sleepy haze fell over me, and I sighed, feeling the last of my energy drain away. I passed out, face down and fully clothed, on my lonesome bed, and dreamed sweet dreams about a kingdom on the moon, in a castle far away, and a certain raven-haired, midnight blue-eyed prince.

Chapter one completed by

Holly Go-lightly & Trinsic-X