ic2

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Title:   Intro to Chemistry
Part II: Observations
Author: Fawkes
Email:   [email protected]
Rating: PG
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AN: Standard disclaimers apply. Also, I'm going to be breaking a
LOT of lab safety rules for the sake of advancing the story, so please
don't let it bug you or anything.
In what clearly must have been a moment of insanity, I decided
I was going to try to make this chapter funny. Urgh... very bad idea!
So if you think it's just revoltingly un-funny, feel free to let me
know, just try to go kinda easy on the flames, if you could.

~~~~<~~@      ~~~~<~~@    ~~~~<~~@

Serena's encounters with Darien over the next few days were
slightly different than what she was accustomed to. Sure, he still
called her Meatball Head, and teased her as he always did, but then,
just when she was about to blow up, he would fix her with one of his
dazzling, hundred-watt smiles. For reasons she couldn't rationalize,
those smiles, which should have been that much more infuriating,
eliminated her desire to tell him off. Somehow, the only anger she
could muster in those moments was towards herself. What was he doing,
laughing at her? And, instead of telling him what a jerk he was, all
she could do was sputter and blush, part of her wanting to look away
from his intense, deep blue gaze, and part of her protesting whenever
she did.
   Why these looks, why now? What had she done to change things?
Or maybe Darien had always had that crooked grin, and she was just now
noticing.
To Darien, his relations with Serena seemed to have changed
completely overnight. Before his conversation with Andrew, he had
been determined to hide his feelings for the girl from everyone,
arguably even himself. But now that the word was out, there wasn't
any use trying to conceal things. Heck, Andrew even thought he had a
chance with her! Although he couldn't quite convince himself it was
true, the whole idea that Darien Chiba would dare to dream of Serena
Tsukino seemed less ridiculous.
He wasn't brave enough to act differently around her, and so
he continued with his traditional teasing, but their interactions had
a different feel for him. What was argument turned to banter, and
fighting to flirtation. At times, he got so wrapped up in how
adorable she looked when she was really angry, and in sheer joy just
to be talking to her, that he couldn't suppress a smile. He would
try to keep a straight face, but it was no use; she was too cute.
If Darien could have seen himself, he wouldn't have bothered
trying to hold in the smile. His eyes gave everything away.

~~~~<~~@    ~~~~<~~@    ~~~~<~~@

"Serena! Are you ready to go?"
"Almost, Ames, just let me think a minute here..." Serena's
brow knitted as she tried to recall which books she needed to do her
homework.
"Ya know, Serena, you've been doing a lot better about school
work lately. I'm really impressed!" Lita remarked as she joined her
friends.
"Yes, Serena, your study habits have undergone great
improvement!" Amy added enthusiastically.
"Well, thanks guys! I just hope Miss H notices soon."
"She will, especially after your science grades take off.
Starting today, I just know you'll be able to appreciate science from
a whole new perspective!" With this thought, Amy got a far-away,
dreamy look in her eyes that most girls her age reserved for boys.
The nervousness Serena had felt when she learned that she had
been accepted for an internship position returned. She remembered the
note Miss Haruna had given her on Friday:

"Serena,
I offer my congratulations! Your application was accepted at
Turner Pharmaceuticals. You'll begin Monday afternoon. Go to the
main office at 27th and Madison Blvd. after school. Good luck!
     -Mr. K
PS- A little inspiration: 'Before the beginning of great brilliance,
there must be chaos. Before a brilliant person begins something great,
they must look like fools in the crowd.'
-taken from the I. Ching."

Monday had come, and so it was time for Serena to face her
demons.
"Come on, Serena, we don't want to be late the first day!"
That was the good news, with a friend like Amy, she wouldn't
have to worry about her normal problems with tardiness. With that
somewhat comforting thought, they bid Lita goodbye and started off.

~~~~<~~@    ~~~~<~~@    ~~~~<~~@

Darien was in a daze. When he arrived for his first day at
Turner Pharmaceuticals, he had found that, as a college freshman, he
was the least experienced person running his own experiment. This
much he had expected, and it was also no surprise that the middle
school assistants were assigned to projects based on their skill
level and the seniority of the supervisor.
Amy Mizuno, the girl Serena was friends with, was the first
one assigned, and would be working under a very prominent scientist
on cancer research. One by one, the other students were assigned to
projects by level of importance, and as time passed and her name was
not called, Darien's hopes grew.
"Darien Chiba... you'll have one assistant for your project,
one Serena Tsukino. She's not the most experienced of our interns,
but her heart seems to be in the right place."
Darien could not have cared less about Serena's experience in
research chemistry. 'Who would have thought Darien Chiba would throw
his self-righteously important research assignment to the winds, and
not care how it turns out, as long as he gets to spend time with a
girl?' Ok, so maybe that was an exaggeration. Darien was using this
experiment to earn lab credit, and, if his data proved useful, it
would look very impressive on his application to medical school in a
few years. So he really did care about what he was doing, it just
wasn't his only priority now.
He should have known they would end up paired together. Fate
had guided Serena Tsukino's test paper smack into his forehead, and
it was bringing them together here as well.

~~~~<~~@    ~~~~<~~@    ~~~~<~~@

"I'm in room 125, how about you, Serena?"
"Looks like I've got 132C."
"Oh good, we should be right down the hall from each other."
The two girls walked together nervously, the assignment papers given
to them at the front desk clutched in their hands.
"Well, here's my room. Good luck, Serena!"
"Amy, wait a sec! If I'm not sure about something, do you
think it would be ok if I sorta... trotted down the hall and asked you
about it?"
The blue haired girl smiled reassuringly. "Sure thing. But
don't worry, Serena, I'm sure they'll explain everything very clearly.
You'll be fine, ok?"
"Thanks Amy. I'll meet you here at 5:30, then?"
"5:30, yes. Have fun!"
"Yeah, you too. Fun..."
Alone in the hall, Serena continued until she reached room
132C. Taking a deep breath, she twisted the knob and entered the room.
The lab was rather small, about the size of her kitchen at
home. The counters were almost completely covered with glassware of
various shapes and sizes. In the corner of the room, a door with a
plaque reading "Supply Closet" was open, and she could hear someone
rummaging around inside.
"Hello? My name is Serena Tsukino, and I'm supposed to be
the assistant for this experiment... is anybody in there?" Her jaw
dropped as Darien emerged from behind the door. He was carrying two
white lab coats, and holding two pairs of clear plastic safety goggles
in his hands.
"Hiya Meatball Head! Looks like I found these just in time.
This is the smallest lab coat in here, it still may be a little big
on you, but we can..."
"Darien?!?! What... why are you here?"
"Well, uhh... we got assigned to the same experiment. Neat
coincidence, huh?"
Neat was not quite the word Serena would have used. She
remembered Darien's mocking words in the arcade, "I'll bet you don't
know a thing about chemistry, do ya Meatball Head?" Well, she was
about to prove him right! Although she couldn't explain why, Serena
felt a sudden wave of horror at the thought that she was about to look
stupid in front of Darien. 'It shouldn't matter, Serena, you shouldn't
care what he thinks... but I do. No, this is an opportunity! My big
chance to show him that I can be professional and competent, and to
make Darien Chiba eat his words.'
Coming out of her reverie, Serena realized that Darien was
speaking again. "Earth to Serena, anyone in there? In any case, we
shouldn't need the goggles today, but try the lab coat on for size."
He handed her one of the garments, and they both pulled them on.
Indeed, Serena's was a bit on the tentish side, but she
buttoned it up without complaining. Darien's fit fine, and somehow
the thought that the white color set off his blue eyes and shiny black
hair well popped up in her head. She suppressed it somewhat angrily.
Why was she thinking these things?
"You'll want to find a way to tie your hair up a little more
for next time. We won't be doing anything today that would present a
problem, but it could be a safety hazard."
Darien glanced around the lab, unsure of where to begin. He
was determined to make a fresh start with the young girl, and not say
anything that would set her off. 'Better start nice and simple, not
make her feel overwhelmed...'
"Today, we will be checking over our equipment to see what's
what. After we have all of the glassware calibrated, we'll double
check the thermometers using the boiling and melting points of water,
after which we'll..." glancing down, Darien noticed a distinctively
blank look on the young girl's face. "Uhhh, am I moving too fast?
Just stop me if you have any questions..."
Serena had lots of questions, but she was also determined not
to look foolish in front of the older boy. "I'm not a complete moron,
Darien!"
Darien was taken aback. "Oh, it's just that you had this...
funny look on your face, so I thought maybe something was wrong."
"No, nothing's wrong! I just... have to go to the bathroom,
that's all!" And with that, Serena was out the door.
Dashing down the hall, she quickly located the room Amy had
disappeared into, and slipped inside. There, she found Amy cleaning
test tubes at a sink. "AMY!" she hissed!
"Oh, hello, Serena. Is something wrong?"
"Quick, what does 'calibration' mean?"
"Calibration is the process by which one calculates the
systematic gradations of a quantitative measuring device."
"Urgh! English, please!"
"It's when you check something, like the graduated cylinder
you measure stuff with, to see if it really holds the amount of stuff
it says it does."
"Oh... ok. And how do you check a thermometer with something
about boiling and melting?"
"Same idea- you just make sure it reads 100 degrees Celsius
when water starts to boil, and zero degrees when it starts to melt."
"Thanks so much, Ames, I really owe you one!" And as quickly
as she had come, the blonde scurried back down the hall and into her
own lab.
Amy sighed and turned back to the sink. 'Why she didn't ask
her lab supervisor that, I can't even imagine...'
Darien glanced up as Serena opened the door. "Ok, I thought
maybe you could start on the graduated cylinders. Do you know how to
calculate the density of water?"
"Of course I do! You don't have to show me everything, you
know. I just... I'm just going to... I'll be, uhh... right back."
Darien stared in perplexity at the closed door. 'Am I that
repulsive? Can she not stand to be in the room with me for ten
seconds?' Baffled, he turned back to his equipment.
Meanwhile, Amy was still scrubbing test tubes. She looked up
when she heard the door open. "Back so soon, Serena?"
"Sorry to bug you again, Amy, but how do you calculate the
density of water?"
Amy quickly explained that she should check the volumes of
water by measuring the mass and double-checking with the standard
density. Serena caught on quickly, and was out the door.
She was confronted by Darien as soon as she returned.
"Is... is everything ok, Meatball Head? If you're not feeling well
or something, you can go home."
He would have been wise to use her real name; the nickname
fuelled her anxiety, and she snapped at him defensively. "I'm fine,
Darien! You just wouldn't understand because..." she scrambled for a
convincing reason why he wouldn't understand. "...because you're a
guy!"
She couldn't have said anything that could possibly have made
him less eager to question her. "Alright, alright! I'll leave you
alone! Sheesh!"
When Serena had finished with the graduated cylinders, she
proudly showed her results to Darien. "Great, they look like they're
right on! Would you do the pipettes next?"
Serena wasn't particularly worried about the pipettes; after
all, the graduated cylinders hadn't been that bad. But once she got
the pipettes out, she realized that they were more complex. They were
essentially like glass straws, and she couldn't figure out how to get
the water in. Darien glanced up, and saw her confusion. "Here,
Serena, let me show you how to..."
"I can do it, Darien! I just, I'll be right back, ok?"
"Serena! Why do you keep leaving every three minutes?"
"What, I can't go to the bathroom, is that it?" She quickly
crossed over to the door and started to turn the knob.
"Well then, why are you taking the pipettes with you?"
"I..." This one was going to be tough to explain. She turned
to glare at her confused supervisor. "You're such a jerk, Darien!"
At least this approach required no justification.
"Look, Serena. If you don't know how to use something..."
"I do know how to use stuff! Really, I do!"
Darien blinked. Could the reason she was acting so odd be
that she wanted him to think she knew what she was doing? He thought
back to the personal statement on her application, of how nervous and
vulnerable she had sounded. He knew he needed to tread carefully now.
"Serena, it's ok, really, it is. You're not expected to know
everything, especially on the first day."
"Wha... what?" Serena's jaw dropped. Had Darien Chiba just
said... what she thought he just said? Not 'you're such a useless
moron' or 'you don't even know how to use a simple pipette!', but
something nice?
"It's my fault, really."
This was simply too weird. Serena knew she must be dreaming
when he uttered those words and cocked that goofy, crooked grin.
"After all, I didn't give you Le Grande Tour."
"Le Grande what?"
"Ya know, show you around, tell ya about the safety rules...
that kind of stuff."
For the next hour, Darien showed Serena how every piece of
equipment in the lab worked. Much to her surprise, it wasn't entirely
boring, like the physical science lectures in school. As she leaned
in to adjust the Bunsen burner, Darien swept back a trailing pigtail
in alarm. "Whoa there, better be careful not to burn all your hair
off! After all, what would I call you if you didn't have your
meatballs?"
"Tempting as it is, Darien, I guess I would like to keep my
hair, even if it would get you to stop calling me Meatball Head."
"Aw, come on, Meatball Head, you know you like it!" When she
turned to glare at him, he looked down at her with the most peculiar
expression. It started off as a typical, sarcastic smile, but as her
eyes met his, the smile faded slightly, and his eyes softened a bit.
The look was almost... doting, a sentiment Serena would never have
associated with Darien Chiba. He brushed the stray pigtail back
behind her ear, and she shivered as his hand grazed her neck, then
brushed over her shoulder and down her arm.
Serena was somewhat unaccustomed to this feeling, of her
stomach turning and heat rising to her face. It vaguely reminded her
of how she used to feel around Andrew, except it was even more heady
and... confusing. 'Why did I never notice just how good looking Darien
is?' The answer snapped her from her trance. 'Because he's a
complete jerk! What am I doing, drooling over Darien Chiba? If he
thinks I like him, I'll never live it down! He'd have a field day
with that one.' Wiping any sentiment from her face, Serena crossed
her arms over her chest and stuck out her tongue.
Darien blinked hard, then laughed at the irate expression on
the girl's face. 'Too bad the mood's broken, but she's just so cute!
She may be acting mad now, but just you wait, Meatball Head. I got
through to you for a minute there, I know I did! I'll get you yet...'
"Moving on?" Serena asked with mock annoyance.
Darien laughed. "Yes, moving on to the safety shower, over
here. Now, if there's a chemical spill, and some of it gets on you,
it's important to wash it off quickly. Pull this cord, then quickly
remove any garments the acid came in contact with and..."
"Remove any garments, excuse me?!"
"Meatball Head, don't be difficult! It's not like I'll be
looking or something. The point is, it's really important not to get
chemical burns. I'm serious Serena, lab safety's not a joke."
He was cut off by the opening of the door. "Serena?" Amy
stuck her head in. "I hate to interrupt, but it's 5:45, and I...
Darien? Serena didn't mention that you were in charge of her lab!"
'Oh no, time to think fast...' Serena couldn't let Darien find
out she'd been running out to ask Amy all those questions! "Well, Amy,
that's just because I didn't know! Remember, we just got assigned to
room numbers at the desk, not lab instructors! I was just as surprised
as you are, ha ha!"
"But what about when..." Noting Serena's frantic, bizarre
looks, Amy stopped. "Oh, never mind! But I'm going to head on home-
my mom will be expecting me."
"You go on home too, Meatball Head. I'll finish up here."
Serena glanced up at Darien, and a surge of guilt rushed
through her. If he hadn't taken the time to show her around the lab,
they would probably be done by now. She was determined to be really
responsible and help this project, not slow it down. "No, I'll stay-
it'll go faster with both of us working."
To say that Amy was surprised was an understatement. After
all, Serena couldn't stand Darien! But she was a bit worn out from
her long day, and decided not to bother questioning, particularly with
Serena in such a weird mood. "Ok, bye guys! I'll see you tomorrow."
The unlikely pair made quick work of examining the rest of the
equipment, managing to finish in just half an hour. Darien locked up
the lab, and they headed for the exit. "All right, I'll be able to
make it home in time for dinner!" Serena gushed.
"God forbid you should miss that!"
The blonde turned to glare. "Well, Darien, I think I've put
up with about enough of your insults for one day. On that fine note,
I'll bid you a nice evening!"
"I don't think so, Meatball Head! It's late, and you shouldn't
be out walking by yourself."
"I think the worst thing likely to happen to me is that I'll
be teased some more by you!"
He chuckled. "That may very well be, but we don't want to take
any chances." She gazed at him wearily. "Don't worry, I'll be on my
best behavior."
"I don't know..." They had reached the doors, and Serena
couldn't help but notice how dark it already was. She wasn't entirely
familiar with this part of Tokyo, either. Onerous as Darien's company
was, it might be better than the alternative.
Darien noticed her nervously scanning the dark sidewalks, and
saw his opening. Placing one hand on her shoulder, he smiled down at
her gently. "Come on, Serena. I'm going to walk you home."
Swallowing and looking down, she nodded, and they set out.
"So..." Darien struggled to find a conversational topic that
didn't involve Serena's hair or eating habits. "Uh, do you like the
lab so far?" 'Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes...'
"Yeah, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. I mean,
it's a lot better than some boring science lecture."
"Boring science lecture! Science is my favorite subject!
It's really interesting stuff."
"Well, ultra nerds like you may like it, but it's sure not for
me. I can't think of a single interesting science fact."
"Oh yeah?" Serena's momentum was suddenly reversed by Darien's
hand on her shoulder. "Come over here a second." They had been
cutting through the park, and he led her away from the path into an
open grassy field off to one side.
"Darien, what are you..."
He gestured broadly to the sky. "Look up there! Do ya know
which constellation Orion is?"
She sighed in defeat and tilted her head upwards. "No, where
am I looking?"
Darien tried to point, but he could tell he wasn't making
things much clearer. "See those three stars in a line? That's the
belt, and the shoulders are just above... oh, here!"
Serena gasped as he bent over and pulled her to him, so that
their heads were right next to each other. Tilting her head in the
right direction with one hand, he used his other arm to point. "There
is the constellation... do you see how it looks like a man?"
His breath in her hair made Serena quiver. She let her gaze
follow the direction he was pointing. "Yeah, but that's not science,
Darien, that's... mythology, or something."
"I'm getting there. Look at the right shoulder star, the
reddish looking one. Do you see it?"
"Huh, I guess it does look kinda red, now that I think about
it..."
"Its name is Betelgeuse, which means 'Armpit of the Mighty
One.'" Serena couldn't suppress a giggle, which made Darien grin.
"Orion being the Mighty One, of course. The reason it looks red is
that it's a red supergiant star."
"A red supergiant?"
"Yes, a very old, very big star. The life cycle of stars is
kinda complex, so I won't go into it now, but, at the stage it's at
now, it's going to explode soon."
"Explode? But when?"
"We won't know for sure until it goes. It could be tonight,
it could be a hundred years from now, it's hard to say. But when it
does, it'll be so bright, you'll be able to see it during the day.
It'll be as bright as the full moon."
"As bright as the full moon..." Serena gazed dreamily at the
sky. At some point during their conversation, Darien had dropped his
pointing arm, and clasped his hands in front of her stomach. His chin
had come to rest on her shoulder. She was glad it was dark, for she
was sure she was flushing red for the thousandth time that week. But,
instead of being awkward, the position felt... comfortable, almost as
if they had stood this way and gazed out at the starry sky before.
"Ya know what's even neater?" Darien's soft, rich voice broke
into her thoughts.
"What?"
"Well, because the light has to travel all the way from there
to here, we won't find out that it's actually exploded for another
couple hundred years."
"But Darien! I thought you said it could go tonight!"
"Well, it could. That is, the light could reach us for the
first time tonight. If we saw it explode right now, that would mean
that it actually blew up a few hundred years ago, see?"
"Oh... Darien?"
"Yes?"
"If it exploded, wouldn't we be hurt?"
"Nah, it's too far away, and the atmosphere would filter out
most of the radiation. At worst, it would knock out a couple of
satellites. So whadaya say, Meatball Head, was that an interesting
science fact or what?"
"I must grudgingly admit that, yes, that was pretty cool. Why
don't they ever tell us stuff like that in science?"
"Well, I think the answer is obvious- I'm just that much more
interesting than everyone else you know!" He squeezed her stomach
playfully.
"Darien, you are impossible! And it's getting even later!"
Escaping from his grasp, she began walking towards the path in feigned
frustration.
Laughing, he chased after her. "Don't try to act mad, Serena,
I see that smile creeping in there!"
They reached her house entirely too soon for Darien's taste,
and he reluctantly watched her climb up the steps. "So Serena..."
She turned. "Yes, Darien?"
"I guess we'll see if the most interesting person you know can
make chemistry fun tomorrow, eh?"
"Most interesting person I know? You flatter yourself!"
"Well, you know me, the egotistical jerk! G'night, Meatball
Head."
"Night!" As she shut the door, she couldn't help but muse to
herself. 'Getting more interesting all the time, Darien. Getting more
interesting all the time...'