ic4

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Title:    Intro to Chemistry
Part IV: Retrial
Author:   Fawkes
Email:    [email protected]
Rating:   PG
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Standard disclaimers apply.

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"You're right, sir. I don't know where my mind is, and I've
messed things up. I'm sorry... Maybe if I take a quick break, I can
regroup."
Darien felt his heart break as he watched the tiny girl slip
out the door. 'I don't care how many degrees he has, or how important
he thinks he is! Nobody has the right to make another person feel
that way.' Determined, Darien turned on his instructor.
"Dr. Richmond, you shouldn't have said that to her. She was
doing her best, and she's not normally like that."
"Darien, I'm shocked! Trying to defend her after her hideous
lab skills! She's certainly not advancing your project, and..."
"Well, maybe sometimes there are more important things than
'advancing your project,' sir!"
"You'd best watch yourself, Mr. Chiba. You want to become a
doctor, do you? Trust me, boy, I know what it takes to make things
work in the medical field, and sometimes you have to do what is
necessary to make sure things are up to par. It's a doctor's duty."
"Well, with all due respect, I disagree! Being a doctor is
about compassion, about making people feel better. I think you just
made someone feel worse." With that, he turned his back on the
stunned chemist, and went in search of Serena.
Once out in the hall, he paused. It had been easy enough to
go storming from the lab, but where could he find her now? 'Maybe Amy
would know...' With that thought in mind, he strode towards the girl
genius' lab, but something made him pause halfway there. What was
that muffled sound? It sounded almost like... crying. He turned his
head, and found himself standing next to the women's bathroom. No
need to consult Amy now; he knew where Serena had gone. Taking a deep
breath, he twisted the knob and cracked open the door.
The young girl's lab coat, safety goggles, and extra hairpins
formed a trail to the sitting area. Surely enough, when he peered
around the corner, he found Serena on the couch, crying her heart out.
Adding his own lab wear to the pile, he slowly made his way forward.
"Serena..."
Her head jerked up in surprise to hear another voice in the
empty room, much less a male one. "Darien! I... didn't hear you come
in..." She quickly tried to wipe her face clean and straighten
herself, but the tears continued to flow down her cheeks, and try as
she might to steady it, her voice broke with every word. She couldn't
bring herself to look at him, not after what she had done. She had
ruined his project, embarrassed him in front of his teacher... and
worst of all, she had lied to him.
"I know that it doesn't matter at this point, after what I've
done, but I just wanted to say... that I'm sorry I ruined everything,
and, and, and, I should have told you from the start, about my grades,
I mean. It was wrong of me, but I just wanted... to do something
right for once. I didn't want you to think that I was just a stupid
middle schooler who couldn�t pass science- I just couldn't tell you!"
The tears fell with greater force. When her voice came again, it was
tiny. "I know you're furious, and you have every right to be. But
I'm sorry, I really am."
His silence was worse to her than the harshest words he could
have spoken. She sat with her head bowed, waiting for him to yell and
scream, to tell her off for everything she had done.
The words never came. Instead, Serena sensed the cushions of
the couch shifting as Darien sat down, and then felt his hand cup her
chin. She resisted his efforts to raise her head as best she could,
but he was too strong for her. Unable to look at him, she closed her
eyes in shame.
"Oh, Serena..."
His voice sounded sad, but kind, not what she had been
expecting at all. She ventured to open her eyes just a slit, and was
shocked by what she saw. Darien's expression was of sympathy and
concern- she was unable to detect any trace of the fury she had seen
a few moments earlier. She jerked her head away in confusion. "Why
aren't you yelling at me?"
"Why would I yell at you, Serena?"
"Because I messed everything up and lied to you, and, and, you
looked so mad back in the lab, Darien!" Fresh tears began to stream
down her red cheeks.
The next thing she knew, Serena found herself enfolded in his
arms, her head leaning against his chest. She eagerly clung to his
shirt as she sobbed, her tears soaking the material. Darien reached
down with one arm and scooped her easily into his lap.
When he spoke, his voice was soft and soothing. "It's ok,
Serena, everything's ok. You're right, I was very mad back in the
lab, but not at you, not at you..." He continued to murmur comforting
words until her tears slowed somewhat.
"So you're really not mad at me?" came a muffled voice from
his shirt.
"Of course not. So today wasn't your best day, so what? Dr.
Richmond had no right to yell at you like that." He felt her sink
further into his chest in relief. "I am concerned, though," he
continued, "you didn't seem to be yourself back in the lab. Is
anything wrong?"
"Well..." Serena straightened slightly, debating whether or
not to tell him what was troubling her. 'He does already know about
my grades, what've I got left to lose?' And so the story of her being
late, and getting detention came spilling out. "It was the first one
I'd gotten in a long time, and on today of all days! On top of that,
I got a... a 36 on my math quiz, and I've got a test on Friday." She
lowered her head in shame, but was determined to tell him the truth
this time. "If I don't improve my grade in that class, I'll have to
take summer school. Knowing my luck, I probably failed my physical
science test and English paper, too. I'm so stupid, I..."
"Serena, that's not true!"
She stopped, dumbfounded, and glanced up at his adamant
expression. "I don't know why you'd say something like that, with my
terrible grades. You don't have to lie to make me feel better, Darien.
I'd expect you to be mad, seeing as I had to work here to get out of
summer school. You've had a complete idiot for an assistant all this
time, and I didn't even tell you. If I haven't proved to you how
stupid I am by now, I don't know what else I have to do."
She attempted to turn her head away again, but was prevented
from doing so by Darien's hand on her chin. Her eyes quivered under
his gaze, but his face was kind. "You've got it exactly backwards.
I'll be honest, before working with you here, I didn't think you were
very smart. All I had to base my opinion on were your grades, and
from what I could see, they weren't very good." Fresh tears began to
spill down her cheeks, and he carefully wiped them away before he
continued. "But that was beforehand. Now that I've worked with you,
I know that you really are smart, Serena. You picked up on everything
so quickly! There are a lot of college students who couldn't do the
things you've been doing for this experiment, believe me."
She gulped. "That doesn't change the fact that I'm about to
fail an algebra test tomorrow. A 36- would you call that smart?"
"How have your grades been lately in your other classes? Like
physical science?"
"Well, I guess they have been improving a little, especially
lately. But I probably failed my test and..."
"And why do you think they've been getting better?"
"Probably because of the lab- I mean, it made the stuff...
make more sense."
"I just wish you had told me about this sooner, Serena. I
would have wanted to help you more, to explain things better! Why
didn't you tell me?"
She felt the heat rising to her cheeks, and closed her eyes.
When she spoke, her voice was small. "I couldn't... you would have
thought I was stupid."
She felt him pull her forward onto his chest, cradling her in
his arms. "I don't think that, not at all. And it upsets me that you
think such nasty things about yourself, especially because they're not
true. And I'm going to prove it to you."
"And just how are you going to do that?"
"Your math test is on Friday?" The meatballs bobbed up and
down against his chest. "Shouldn't be any problem for a fast learner
such as yourself. Tell ya what, I'll meet you after school tomorrow,
and we'll go to my apartment and study. We can order a pizza, and
I'll tutor you."
"But you shouldn't have to do that! I don't want to be
trouble, and..."
"It's no trouble at all! After how much help you've been
around here, it's the least I can do."
"I know you don't want to waste your time tutoring a middle
school kid who can't even..."
"Serena! We are going to study algebra together if I have to
wait for you outside your school, throw you over my shoulder and carry
you kicking and screaming all the way back to my apartment!"
"Darien, you can't do that!"
"What, don't think I'm strong enough?" She glanced up and saw
a devilish gleam in his eyes. Grinning, he left one arm around her
shoulders and reached his other one beneath her knees. He rose
quickly, lifting her easily with him.
His arms felt solid around her, so she wasn't afraid of being
dropped, but Serena felt so high off the ground. How tall was he,
anyways? "Put me down, Darien!"
His grip was unrelenting. "Not until you agree!"
"No, Darien, I don't want you to go to any trouble."
"Is that so?" Still grinning, he began to spin in the tiny
sitting area, causing Serena to squeal and throw her arms around his
neck. "Sure about that?"
"Yes! Now stop spinning and put me down!"
"No! Let me tutor you, Serena!"
"I can't ask you to do that!"
"You're not asking, I'm offering."
"It's the same thing. Please stop!"
"Boy, I'd like to, I'm starting to get dizzy here. You'd
better agree fast before I drop ya!"
She tightened her hold on his neck. "Don't drop me!"
"Say the magic words! C'mon, Serena, just let me tutor you!"
"I... I- oh fine! I'll come, just stop spinning!"
Laughing, he collapsed back on the couch, pulling Serena down
in a heap on top of him. "There now, was that so hard, Meatball Head?"
She tried to scowl, but his smile was infectious. "Like I had
any choice. And don't call me that!" She batted at his chest, but
couldn't suppress a smile. "I swear, you are impossible, Darien
Chiba! Why do you haveta act so goofy, anyways?"
He laughed, his eyes sparkling at the young girl tangled on
top of him, and pushed his hair out of his face with one hand.
"You'll find out soon enough."

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It felt almost odd to Serena to be walking through the sliding
glass doors of the arcade again. She had still been going on weekends,
but she hadn't seen the after school crowd for almost a month now.
Waving to a few friends, she glanced around the room as she made her
way to the counter. He wasn't here yet, which wasn't entirely
surprising, considering that they weren't supposed to meet for another
ten minutes.
Behind the counter, Andrew grinned at her as she took a seat.
"Hey Serena, long time no see! I was starting to miss seeing ya after
school. Did Darien finally cut you a break?"
"Well, sorta. At least, I don't have to go into the lab today.
I'm actually supposed to meet him here- he's gonna tutor me for my
algebra test."
"Oh really! I thought you couldn't stand to be in the same
room with the 'egotistical jerk.' Why the sudden change of heart?"
A tiny smile tugged at the girl's mouth. "Darien's been...
different lately. I mean, he still makes fun of me and stuff, but
it's not really mean anymore. He's actually pretty fun to be around."
Andrew couldn't suppress a huge grin at this small victory for
his best friend. "Is that so? And what is this giddy little smile I
see? Do you have something to tell your dear friend Andrew, Serena?"
She glanced down uncertainly. Surely Andrew would think she
was insane if she told him how much she liked Darien! "Well, I
dunno..."
"Aw, c'mon Serena! You like him, don't you?"
"Keep it down, will ya?" Realizing that she had given herself
away with these words, Serena decided to fully confide in the older
boy. "Ok, fine, yes, I like Darien. But you absolutely can't tell
him, Andrew! He'd think I was such a dork, and he'd probably never
want to talk to me again."
"What makes you think that? How do you know he doesn't like
you, too?"
"Please! I'm just an annoying little middle schooler, and
he's this incredibly good looking, smart, funny, charming... just
utterly perfect college student! He wouldn't give me a second glance."
"Well, I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit,
Serena."
"Darien Chiba is so far out of my league that it cannot be
expressed using the English language. Perhaps if we switch to
something like Hindi, which has a historical caste system, we can
better describe the situation."
As Andrew laughed, the bell on the arcade doors chimed, and
Darien came in. "Here he comes, so I'll drop the subject, but don't
count yourself out- I think you've got a good chance. Hey Dare,
what's up?"
"Not much, Andrew, just meeting someone here." He didn't even
glance at Serena as he slid onto the stool next to her. She cleared
her throat, but she still couldn't seem to catch his attention.
"Ahem! Darien, I'm right here."
"Yeah, you sure look like her, but this girl won't be here
for another ten minutes, at least. I'll know when she arrives for
sure- she'll come barreling through the doors like a tornado, and..."
He was cut off by a sharp smack on his shoulder. "Very funny!
Are you ready to go, or should I just head home and forget this whole
tutoring business?"
"Ah! I won't let you get away so easily, Meatball Head!
Let's go. See ya later, Andrew!"
There was a gleam in the arcade boy's eyes as he waved to his
friend. 'They're crazy about each other. And I'm the only person
who knows!'

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Darien's apartment was on the ninth floor of a tall, fairly
new looking building. After showing Serena in, he announced his
intentions to order the pizza, and left her in the living room with
the instructions to make herself at home. She glanced curiously at
the room's furnishings. There was a black leather couch and
overstuffed chair to match, and a glass coffee table with a darkly
stained wood rim and legs. A framed ancient-looking map was hung on
the wall, as well as an artistic scroll of a phoenix and dragon.
Several matching bookcases were along the walls, containing books
interspersed with tiny ceramic vases, plants, and a small globe. The
titles ranged from physics to Shakespeare to science fiction, and the
effect was academic, but not stuffy. On top of one shelf, there was
a framed picture of Darien and Andrew, both smiling widely. They had
on backpacks, and the background was foresty, suggesting a weekend
camping trip. Serena couldn't help but notice that it was the only
photograph in the room, and she remembered what Darien had told her
in the cafe' about his parents.
She made her way to the sliding glass doors to the balcony,
and caught her breath at the view. The sun was just beginning to
sink below the horizon of buildings that formed downtown Tokyo, and
the effect was stunning. Tearing her eyes away from the scene, she
noticed two large potting barrels overflowing with red roses out on
the balcony. 'He grows roses- I never would have guessed...' she
mused as she turned back to the room.
Why did Darien have to be so... so perfect, when she knew she
could never have him? The more time they spent together, the more she
realized that he was everything she had ever fantasized about in a
boyfriend. Despite his teasing exterior, he really was kind and
caring, not to mention smart, fun to be around, attractive... he could
even cheer her up and make her laugh. Serena sighed. She couldn't
think of a single reason he would want her, too.
She could hear Darien's voice on the phone coming from what
she guessed was the kitchen, and she followed the sound. He glanced
up at her and grinned as she crossed onto the white tile floor and
looked curiously around. The morning newspaper was scattered over the
breakfast table, and there were quite a few dirty dishes in the sink.
'So Mr. Perfect College Student is human after all' she chuckled to
herself. Still, the kitchen was generally clean, and she certainly
wouldn't be afraid to eat anything that came out of this room.
She turned when she heard the phone click as Darien hung it
up. "The pizza won't come for about an hour, so I'll get something
to tide us over until then. Would you like something to drink?" he
asked as he opened the refrigerator and removed a bunch of purple
grapes, which he proceeded to wash. She fixed herself a glass of
water, and proceeded back into the living room, where they settled
sitting on the floor next to the coffee table.
"Ok, why don't you show me what you're studying?"
Serena groaned. Math was never fun, and she wasn't looking
forward to looking stupid in front of the man she was most trying to
impress. She reluctantly pulled out her book and opened it to the
appropriate section. "We're doing this thing called factoring, which
I don't understand at all. I mean, I don't even know why you'd want
to do this stuff, anyways."
"Hmmm... let me think how to explain this. Ok, here goes.
If you multiply a number times zero, what do you get?"
"Zero every time."
"Exactly! Now, let's say you have this graph, and you wanted
to find out where it intersected with the y-axis..." and so the lesson
began.
After a while, the doorbell rang, interrupting what Darien
had been saying. Serena couldn't believe an hour had gone by already.
She couldn't remember ever studying math for that long before! But
she hadn't even minded- it was interesting, or at least more so, when
it made sense. And she was slowly beginning to understand how
factoring worked and why you might want to use it.
"Pizza's on, Meatball Head! Whadaya say we take a break and
eat?"
Serena practically skipped after him into the kitchen, and
promptly tore into the pepperoni pie.
"I see your passion for eating extends for all types of
Italian food, Meatball Head! It's a miracle you can fit into that
cute little school girl outfit."
She paused long enough to stick her tongue out at the older
boy, and attempted to take on an annoyed air. "I burn it all off,
thank you very much, Mr. Chiba!"
"Boy is that the truth. I imagine the morning sprints to
school alone consume a great deal of energy."
At this, Serena pouted in earnest. "That's not fair, Darien!
I've been doing a lot better lately, but nobody seems to notice."
Darien sensed that he had genuinely touched a nerve. "I
didn't mean that, Serena. I'm sorry. You know that when I say stuff
like that, I'm just teasing, don't you? I mean, I don't ever intend
to really hurt your feelings..." He trailed off, waiting for her
response.
She smiled softly. "I know, Darien. It's just that...
sometimes things like that sting a little more than they're intended
to. It's not just you, I mean, Raye does it too, and my little
brother Sammy. I should probably just get over it."
"You shouldn't have to 'get over it,' Serena. I'm glad you
told me that. If stuff like that really gets to you, I don't want to
say it anymore. You never have a mean word for anyone- the last
thing you deserve is for some jerk like me to make you feel bad."
Serena struggled to imagine a Darien who didn't ever tease
her. As much as she used to hate his harassment, she had to admit
that lately, she had grown to enjoy his playful banter. What would
it be like if he no longer had a special nickname for her, or if he
didn't single her out in the arcade, even if it was only to tease her?
"You don't have to do that, Darien. I mean, really, what
would we talk about if you never made fun of me?"
"Oh, don't you worry, Meatball Head! I still intend to mock
your eating habits, klutz attacks, and who cold forget my classic
repertoire of hair remarks? It'd be a real shame to let those go to
waste!"
"Well," she responded, pulling the pizza box closer and
removing a slice, "I'll just have to give you something to mock!"

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