Season #1
Episode One- Roomates
By: jaclenia
[email protected]
Insert Usual Disclaimer Here
Each Episode Is In It's Own A Story.
Just Like A TV Show!!
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Darien entered the cab, closing the door with a great deal of
effort. The handle felt a little greasy, as if someone had wiped the
top of a fast-food hamburger on it. He told the driver the location and
pulled a small, gold trimmed card out of his pocket to reread for the
third time. Andrew, his year-long boyfriend, had sent this to him this
morning at his office.
It was written in small sentences with words and inuendos that
made it blunt and straight to the point. The card had told him to meet
Andrew at "their" place. The location wasn't very private; in fact, it
was one of the most public places in town. The bridge in Central Park
where the yearly Boating Competition is held for kids. It had been
during one of these competitions that he'd come out to his girlfriend
at the time, leaving her alone as he drove off with Andrew. Since then,
Andrew and Darien had lived together in his comfortable apartment that
overlooked the bay. It had become a ritual for them to go out at least
once a week, most of the time with friend's of Andrew's cousin, Mina.
A carriage held two women with a little dark haired girl in
their lamp. She had deep blue eyes, almost purple, and her skin was
white and pale. The two women were exchanging glances and Darien
followed them with his eyes until they were out of view.
The cab stopped at the front gated entrance to the park and
Darien handed him three five's that were stuck together by sweat from
his palm. As he got onto the sidewalk, he wiped his hand on his pair
of khaki pants. A girl of about sixteen years of age was selling roses,
their petals and leaves lined with little silver sparkles. He
approached her and she did gave him a slight curtsey.
"Greetings. Would you care to buy a rose," she questioned in a
well-rehearsed manner, one gloved hand extended containingg a rose. Giving her
the dollar, he took the rose and continued on his trek. The bridge was close in
view, the outline of his blond boyfriend already revealed in the September sky.
The green coat Andrew had gotten him for his birthday was
slipped off and carried in one muscularly toned arm as his pace
quickened. It had become one of his favorite articles of clothing and
it kept him warm enough. Today though, it was unnessesary as the air
was warm, unusual for a New York September.
A few children across the path a few feet ahead of him ran
past followed by a golden retriever and a thrity-something man running
in a business suit. All in all, it made quite the amusing scene. He kept on
until Andrew was right in front of him, his back turned and gaze at the water
below them, which was clear and beheld a family of ducks, their quacking showing
an animated conversation.
"You beckoned," Darien whispered as he slid the arm that held
the rose around Andrew's shoulder, it's petals brushing the older man's
cheek. His eyes flashed for a moment before he stood straight, his gaze
never meeting Darien's.
"We need to talk, Darien." The voice held no emotion and his
face was a blank canvase, almost as if it had been pasted on with super
glue. This unnerved Darien a little, but he didn't let it show. He
leaned one elbow on the bridge's cement railing and waited for him to
continue the conversation.
"About us. This relationship. Darien," he began and turned to
meet him face to face, eye to eye.
"It's just not going to work. I can't do this anymore and...
well there's someone else."
Darien stood still, his eyes closed and fingers laced in such a
tight grip the color had left. The skin was stretched across the bone,
each dent showing even more bone through the paper thin skin than the
loss of color had. His bit his lip to prevent from doing anything rash,
which was pretty much every *single* thought that was pulsating through
his twenty-eight year old mind. They ranged from throwing the guy in
the river... punching out his face... re-routing his intenstinal
system so he has to take a shit out his nose... any of the above. One
long breath was released and his eyes opened once again, blinking a few
times before they adjusted to the light.
"Fine. Who is he?" If he was going to be dumped, he'd at least
like to know what man had had the guts to do it.
"There isn't a he," Andrew replied, lingering on the last word.
"What do you mean, 'there isn't a he?' You just SAID there was
someone else!! How can somone replace me? I gave up that girl for you,
and my family did everything but disown me when they found out!! How
could you do this?!?!" Darien towered over the blonde, his form being
at least three inches higher by itself.
"Well, there's not a *he*. It's a she."
Before Darien had any time to reply, Mina jogged up with an ice
cream cone in each hand. She flashed him a smile before she handed the
mint chocolate chip one to Andrew along with a napkin.
"MINA?! Man, she's your cousin!!"
"No I'm not," she replied, turning to look him in the eye.
"We've been friends for a long time and well, when you were out
of town on business we kind of... consumated our feelings for one
another."
His hand swiped away a few ebony strands that fell into his
eyes. This was all too much. It couldn't be happening. It just could
NOT happen. And there was one slim hell of a chance he was going to let Andrew
go with out him knowing this.
"BUT YOU CAN'T DO THIS!!! YOUR GAY!!!!"
He closed his eyes and battled between himself and reality in his mind for
longer than he thought for when he opened his eyes again, they were both gone.
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Serena fastened the rope at her back with a few extra tugs and
checked her appearance once more before she went to the counter. She'd
just punched in, 12:55, as usual on the dot. She worked at the Sunny
Caf� for the past five years, as long as she'd lived in the city. It
was only a part-time job though. Her day-time job was as a Fashion
Designer for Saks, but she'd promised her grandmother, the owner of the caf�, on
her death bed that she would take care of the place. Serena, being the loyal
person she was, did so and was now full owner of her own fashion line and caf�.
The two other people that worked the afternoon shift with her
were already setting places for the small group that had already formed
outside their doors. She placed a few of the freshly made cinnamon buns
on a display case next to the counter, sucking a few drips of frosting
from her fingers. A little dab of instant-sanitizer eliminated the
chance of getting a fine for un-healthy atmosphere and she turned the
key to open the register. Her right had raised up, index finger
extended, signaling the okay for them to open.
A few people walked up right away, her regulars. Most were
lawyers from the firm down the block on their lunch break, a couple of
college students from the fine art's college. She knew each of their
orders by heart and began to make each. Their payment amount being
memorized by the customers, they layed it across the counter as they
took their food/drinks.
She conversed with a few of them, their opinions on the world
at the moment and their relationships. She wasn't into the conversation
though. Her mind was wandering as to the whereabouts of one of her
favorite regulars, Darien Shields. They'd known eachother since the
time he met Andrew and he came in every weekday to talk to her. She
wasn't sure if he knew just how much she looked forward to his
visiting.
The bells from the ornate decoration that hung on the door
jingled, notifying her of another customer. A smile passed her eyes
and lips as she walked over to Darien at the counter, pad in hand.
"Hey. How are you today?"
She didn't receive an answer, just a small sound somewhere between a whine
and a moan as he rested his head on the folded arms before him. She mouthed to
Lita that she was going to take a break and sat next to him. His body twitched
just enough to alert her, then she realized he was crying. It bothered her to
see someone so close to her this upset so she tried to comfort him by holding
him in a hug. He wrapped his own arms around her, his tears making her full-size
apron wet in the corners.
"Dare, what's wrong," she asked in her mother-tone. It was
something the two had named it after she'd spoken to him like this
before. Her fingers stroked his dark hair until his sobs subsided.
His eyes were already red as he looked up into her eyes.
"You wanna talk about?"
He nodded and straightened in his seat. The napkin was used to
dip in the water and applied to his forehead, cooling the slight fever
he hadn't noticed before.
"He left me Sere. He left me for a... for a... Oh who am I
kidding?! HE LEFT ME FOR A WOMAN!!" he yelled falling into another
fit of sobs. Serena's eyes darted from side to side at the entire caf�
who's interest Darien's outburst had aroused.
"Heh, heh," she mumbled as she patted him on the back, moving
away from him a few centimeters.
"It's okay. I'm sure your better off without him." Wrong thing
to say. As soon as she said these words, Darien began to scream out
words in micro-pharases that were were so high-shreaked, it reminded
her of the lead in her seventh grade Shakespeare play where a boy sang
a note and squeked because he'd hit puberty. She cringed at the memory.
That, and the fact that he was causing a scene by shaking his fists,
gaze upwards, as though challenging God to a street fight.
"WHY?! WHAT CAN SHE GIVE HIM THAT I CAN'T?!"
"Darien," she began,"I think we both know the answer to that."
She bit her lip to stifle a laugh as he scowled.
"Sere, it's not that." His voice was calmer now and he leaned
back against the cusioned seats.
"It's just that, when I came home from work, I saw the moving
truck turn around the corner. Then when I got upstairs.. all his stuff
had been moved out. He even emptied out the garbage can. I can't afford the rent
by myself. Now I need to find a roomate."
They sat together for a few moments of silence, the crowd now
turning back to the mini-soap operas' occuring in their own lives. A
loud shout, followed by the threats of some passing police men caught
Serena's attention and she looked up to see her boyfriend running down
the street stark-naked, three overweight officers struggling to keep up
with him.
"Freedom!! Free yourselves from your cheap material clothes and
be the way you were born!!" The shouts were clear and she sunk down so
low she fell under the counter-top.
"Hey Sere. Wasn't that your..?"
"Don't remind me." She heard him laugh a little and slapped his
leg while standing up.
"I'll get you some coffee. On the house." She walked off
without waiting for his reply, for she didn't need one.
Lita was finishing with a customer as Serena came behind the
green counter-top and filled a styrofoam cup to pour the caffinated
liquid into.
"You know Serena, I've been thinking."
"Alert the media," she exclaimed, fake enthusiasm oozing from
every word.
"Shut up. I mean it though, you should move in with him."
Serena spilled a little of the scalding coffee on her hand and
gave out a few words not used in public society. Luckily for her
business, she'd whispered them.
"Are you kidding? I couldn't, I mean, what about Richard?" she
asked, indicating the naked boyfriend.
"Your telling me that you think you'll be seeing him tonight
when you come home? Anyway, you were thinking about leaving him so I
don't see any reason not to."
She pondered her friend's word. They were true, but still. It
would be nice to live with him. The guy did have good taste, as did
most gay men. They did enjoy eachother's company and there wouldn't be
any harm to either party. Shrugging the thought to the back of her
mind, she grabbed an extra pastry and went over to Darien.
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They talked about a half an hour away reminisicing about old boyfriends,
their jobs, and anything else they could think of to get their minds off of
their initial conversation. It worked for the most part, except that he would
always find some loophole that connected the topic to Andrew. Example,
"Remember that sale they had last week? Where those really cool pants were
like, fifty-percent off?"
"Yeah, Andrew bought a matching pair for him and me." Followed by a fit of
sobs.
"What about that little club down the street from you apartment?"
"Andrew's favorite." Another fit of sobs. It went on like this and soon,
she gave up all together. It was to the point of no return and she decided that
if she didn't move in with him, he'd go into a depression.
"I'll do it," she announced.
"Do what," he stifled as he wiped a few tears with his sweatshirt sleave.
"I'll be your roomate. It's just what you need right now."
His eyebrows srunched at this comment. His mind was still in moping mode
and the following words just didn't process.
"What about your boyfriend?" he asked once his brain had caught up to the
task at hand.
"You saw what happened. I'll just need you to help me move out my stuff,
which isn't that much I'm afraid. Richard didn't like having 'girly things'
clouding his masculine space. At least, that's what he said in so many more
unintelligent words. In fact, I'm not really sure what he would say half the
time. I think he ate paint-chips as a kid."
He nodded his head that was now resting on his hand, a thoughtful look
upon his face. She went to take someone's order, did so, and then returned to
the booth where he sat unmoved.
"Are you okay?" she asked, flicking him in the ear. No response so she did
it again, only harder. He blinked a few times before it all registered then he
was out of the seat, rubbing the offended ear.
"What was that for?!"
"You went into a coma," she told him in a calm tone as she took a sip of
her Coke. He sat down a few inches farther than before and he made sure her
fingers never came near his face for the rest of the day.
An ear could only take so much.
"Let's just say that you do move in."
"Yes," she droned as he had yet to continue the sentence.
"Um. Why don't you just move in."
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They arranged the day, and decided against hiring proffesional movers.
Serena's brother owned a truck service and could move all her stuff for free.
Family perks, and father's orders. She'd move into his place on Sunday which
gave her two days to pack a few small boxes worth of stuff. Lita came over to
help and they spent the Saturday night watching Sleepless In Seattle with a bag
of popcorn.
The morning of her move, Serena woke at the designated time of seven. She
hadn't enjoyed sleeping on her floor with a few mismatched sheets that much but
she dealt with it. The thought of sleeping in the bed that night in such a great
place with Darien had made it that much more bearable.
Her brother came down the street pounding on the horn like a madman. She
wasn't even dressed yet and he was still an hour early. It's ironic how the
movers can be more dependable than your own brother. Either that or she was
expecting too much.
The move took them a grand total of.... a half an hour. It would have
taken less if the expanse between his place and her boyfriends wasn't a twenty
minute ride. The extra ten minutes is caused by the three times her brother had
gotten lost. The first time it was that he had the map upside-down. The second
time, he thought a crumb from his donut was the dot they'd made earlier to
specify Darien's apartment. The third time, they'd gone in a circle and ended
back at her place. Brothers. GEEZ!!
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With her few things moved in, Darien flipped through the cable channels,
listening to her rummaging through his cabinets for pots and other things she
needed to make.. what was she making again?
"SSSSEEEERRREEENNNAAA!!"
"WHAT?! You don't have to yell! I'm only ten feet away!" He blinked once,
twice, then remembered his question.
"Whatever. What are you making anyway?"
"How many times do I have to tell you this," she questioned as she plopped
down next to him on the couch. Her legs rested on his lap while she lay back
rubbing her temples.
"By a recent survey, it takes thirteen times for something to sink into my
thick skull. According to Times Magazine"
"You got that right. I'm making, grap a pen," she added before continuing,
"Sausage Pasta."
"Oh yeah. Is the news okay with you?"
"Whatever. I'm so tired from today I'll fall asleep half-way through it
anyway," she mumbled already half-asleep.
He began to rub her lower leg muscles as the news began. A few minutes in,
Darien began to laugh.
"What's so funny," she asked having been awaken from a pleasant dream that
she'd begun to miss.
"Richard's on TV."
Turning towards the screen, sure enough, it showed a picture of her nude
boyfriend running down Fifth Avenue being chased by now six police officers.
"So," she asked, laying back down. His laughter dissipated and he got a
thoughtful look on his face.
"Is he wearing those Dock Martin's I got you for you birthday?"
At these words, Serena shot up so fast that she fell onto the floor.
Looking up, she saw the he did indeed have on her two hundred dollar pair of
Dock Martins on.
"Mr. Richard Bar will be in jail for five months for his 'Freedom' stunt."
"NOOOOOOO!!!!" she screamed in anguish while crawling to the TV and
hugging it.
"Jeez, Sere. I'm sure he'll be released sooner than that," Darien told
her, a little unnerved by how emotional she was getting.
"It's not him, it's the shoes!!! There going to be useless by the time
I'll get them back!!!!"