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		        	*I Was a Fool for April*
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Chapter Three
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	"Hello?"
	"Hey Serena." I said, walking out onto my balcony.
	"Oh hi Darien, what's up?" Serena asked.
	"The sky." I smiled.
	"Very funny!" She said sarcastically. "So what do you want?"
	"Well..I was wondering if you wanted to do something today." I said.
	"With-with you?" She said surprised and I laughed.
	"No Serena, with the Pope." I sighed.
	"He's in Tokyo?" 
	"SERENA!!"
	"I know I know, I'm just joking!" She laughed. "Sure, I'd love to do something."
	"Okay, how about we go to the park and get some ice cream?" I suggested.
	"As long as food is involved I'm there." She joked and we laughed.
	"Alright, can you meet me there in 10 minutes at the lake?"	
	"Sure!"
	"Okay, cya then."
	"Bye."
	"Bye." I sighed, turning the cordless off. I turned around and leaned against the 
railing, facing inside my apartment. "Well, here goes nothing." I walked back in, threw the
cordless onto the couch while picking up my keys and walked out the door, turning around to lock 
it. Slipping my keys in my pocket, I walked into the elevator and hit the button. I walked out
of my apartment building and across the street into the park.
	I stopped momentarily at the entrance and sighed. I shoved my hands in my pockets and 
took the right path. It took me five minutes to get there, and of course, Serena wasn't there. 
So I sat down and waited, reclining on the park bench. I wasn't reclining long for that familiar
voice echoed in my head.
	"Hey Darien." I turned around to see Serena standing behind the bench with her hands
rested on the back. Her long hair was not in its meatballs, but was pulled back in a tight bun.
She wore a light pink sweatshirt that was about two sizes too big, flip flops and sand blasted
capris. She sat on the bench facing me, with her one leg tucked under her. 
	"Aren't exactly going for the classy look today I see." I commented, and she wrinkled her
nose.
	"Why would I dress up? I'm only with you." She shot back.
	"Well, you dressed up when we went out to eat." I reminded. "And you were with me."
	"Yes well, special instance." She shrugged. "What, do you want me to go home and change
just so I can walked around the park in high heels? Do you want to pay for my hospital bill?"
	"Point taken." I smiled. "But I don't like the bun." I said and she unconsciously grabbed
at it. 
	"Why not?" She asked.
	"Come here." I motioned and she turned around so I could reach it. I unraveled the bun
so her hair came loose to make a regular ponytail. "Your hair is too beautiful to put up like 
that."
	"Oh? Now my hair is beautiful?" She raised an eyebrow.
	"Well, when you wash it." I shrugged.
	"I wash it!" She scoffed, putting her hands on her hips. I laughed and shook my head,
standing up.
	"Come on, let's go get some ice cream." I reached out my hand and she took it. We walked
and talked till we reached the middle of the park where there's a playground and concession 
stand. I brought her a strawberry and bought myself a vanilla.
	"So, only a day till April Fool's." I said as we walked back to the lake. She took a 
lick and nodded.
	"Yup."
	"And our plan will be successful."
	"Yup."
	"And we can stop pretending we're going out."
	"...yup." I looked over to her to see her staring off the path. I shrugged and thought
nothing of it. We talked about everything and anything while we went around the circular path.
We reached the lake and sat down on the grass beneath the shade of a weeping willow. We sat in 
silence and watched as little kids scampered around, and couples walked hand in hand around the
lake.
	"So where do you plan to go to college Darien?" Serena asked suddenly.
	"I'm not sure what I want to do. I want to be a doctor but I still have the company my
dad left me to think about. Both seem very rewarding." I answered. "What do you want to do?"
	"I don't know." She sighed. "I just want to be happy." I turned to her then, to see her
staring at a couple in front of us. They were facing each other and holding hands, their foreheads
pressed together. I looked back to her and for the second time in my life saw passed that smile
she always had, to see her eyes empty. She sighed again and looked up at me. She locked eyes
with me and shook her head.
	"Why did you want me to come with you today?" She asked. It was such a simple answer, but
I found a hard time answering it. I stared at her a moment longer before shrugging.
	"I-I don't know why." I answered and she looked down, nodded her head.
	"That's what I thought." She whispered and stood up. "I have to go Darien. Cya-tomorrow."
	"I-" But before I could even muster a reply she was gone. I stared at the spot where she
had been and thought. Why had I even called her? Do I...do I--
	"Nah Darien, that's crazy." I shook my head and stood up, heading back home. Tomorrow
was a big day!


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The date.
	
	Sunday.

	April first, Two thousand and one.

	7:30 P.M

	April Fool's.

The place.

	Tokyo, Japan.

	Andrew's front door.

	I smiled, knocking on the door. This was it! Andrew opened the door and smiled at me.
	"Hey Darien, come on in!" He motioned and patted me on the back. "Ready to be 
embarrassed?"
	"I should be asking you that question." I replied and he laughed.
	"Sure, whatever."
	"Is Serena here?" I asked and he smiled slyly.
	"That excited to see her?" He said.
	"Of course." I shrugged and he chuckled.
	"Ya," He was interrupted by the doorbell. "She's on the couch. I'll be with you soon."
	"Okay, thanks." I walked through his house to his spacious living room to see a bunch of
people. I spotted her out and smiled deviously, walking behind her.
	"Guess who?" I said as I put my hands over her eyes.
	"Hmm, could it be...no no...maybe the Pope?" She said and I laughed, taking my hands off.
She turned around and looked at me. "Oh, it's you!"
	"Yup," I said and sat down next to her. "So are you ready?"
	"Yeah, of course." She smiled. "I wonder what he has planned for you."
	"Nothing I can't handle." I shrugged.

	We partied till 8:30, then Andrew pulled us all into the living room and stood on the
table. 
	"Darien, are you ready for your April Fool's disaster?" He asked me and I stood up, 
pulling Serena up with me too.
	"Why don't you let me go first Andrew, since I'm sure you'll have something better for
me." I asked and he nodded.
	"Sure, go ahead. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt." He smiled.
	"Well, you really are a fool Andrew. The most gullible guy I know, in fact all of you
are pretty blind. Serena and I have had you all fooled, but mostly you Andrew. You thought you
fixed us up or something but-" I looked over to Serena to see her head down. "Me and Serena 
aren't really going out. April Fool's Andrew!"
	Everyone gasped, and Andrew turned a bright red. They pointed their fingers and him and
laughed, even Rita.
	"That was good Darien!" Someone yelled.
	"Yeah, Serena really had us going!" Another yelled.
	I looked down to Serena to see her looking up at me, her eyes misted over.
	"Serena, what's wrong?" I asked confused and she shook her head, and wordlessly stormed
out of the house. "Serena!" I looked around at the hushed crowd for a moment before running out
the door for her. As I reached the porch I watched her car pull out the driveway and speed down
the street. "...WHAT!?"
	I felt a presence near me and looked over to see Rei. She was the only friend of Serena's
that was able to make it to the party today. She looked up at me and shook her head.
	"Darien, how could you do that?" 
	"DO WHAT! What's going on Rei?" I asked.
	"Can't you see?" She yelled, flailing her arms in the air and letting them slap down to 
her side. "Don't you know what Serena feels for you? No Darien, YOU are the fool here." She
sighed disgustedly and ran to her car, going in the direction Serena went. I stood there 
dumbfounded for awhile, before walking to my car and driving home. 




*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


	Another week of boring school past, and I never saw Serena once. Andrew approached me in
lunch and we sat together. He smiled at me and laughed.
	"You really got me good Darien." He complimented. "Something I would've never expected.
Why, the fact of you actually going out was enough for me."
	"What did you have planned for me anyways Andrew?" I asked.
	"Oh, I had a bucket full of syrup on the door to the porch. I was going to have Serena
get you out there and when it fell we'd all throw feathers on you." Andrew said. "But since both
of you left...."
	"Yeah sorry about that Andrew, I don't know what happened." I said and he stared at me
shocked.
	"You still have no clue don't you?" He shook his head. "That's sad man."
	"Does everyone know something I don't!" I yelled.
	"Common Darien, it's right in front of you. Open your eyes." Andrew said and got up as
the bell rang. 
	"I just don't understand!!" I tossed my head back, running my hands through my hair.


	I actually ran into Serena the following week, while going to get my pictures developed.
	"Opfh!" We both breathed as I backed into a pole and skidded back into a trashcan. She
looked up at my and gasped, pushing back her bangs. 
	"Serena, good to run into you again. Where have you been? What happened at the party?"
I asked and she swallowed.
	"I-if you don't know Darien, then I guess I don't matter that much to you." She said
briskly and walked away. I stared after her, and saw her reach up to her eyes and wiped something
away. 
	"Serena I..." I whispered, shaking my head, unable to finish my sentence. I shoved my 
hands into my pocket and walked the opposite way. And then, it all clicked.
	How Serena had jumped at the chance to go out with me, how I always caught her looking at
me through the corner of her eye. How she knew my address and my phone AND my birthday when I 
never even told her. How she knew WHAT to get me for my birthday. Why she had kept that article
about me. Why she was only upset when I mentioned April Fool's. Why she had stormed out at the
party...
	"Dear God." I gasped, shaking my head. "Serena loves me."
	Geeze! How could I have been SO BLIND! I turned around only to see she had turned a 
corner and vanished somewhere. "Oh Serena..."


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


	Spring vacation came, and everyone went on vacation with their families. Except for me
that is. What family do I have to visit, or even go with? I reached into my mailbox and grabbed
my stuff before I took the elevator to my room. Once inside I dropped on the couch and started
sifted through.
	"Bills, bills, bills, letter from Aunt Carol." I took the letter and threw it in the 
trash can, then resumed my sifted. "Another bill, ahah, pictures!" I opened the package and
started going through my pictures but stopped at the first one. It was of Serena, laying on her
stomach in some grass. Her legs were lifted behind her and crossed, and her head was supported on
her arms. Her hands cupped the side of her face, and her golden hair was let loose and fanned
over her and spilled to the ground in curly waves. A placid smile was on her face, the sun set
behind her. 
	"I didn't take this." I thought aloud. Serena must have taken it when she bought it. I
stared deeper into her eyes, outlining her face with my pointer finger. Then, all at once, my
breath was taken away, and realization hit me square in the chest. How I knew every little thing 
she did and why and how she did it. Why I had felt and overwhelming urge to beat the tar out of 
Seiya and Alan. Why I felt so drawn to her and could trust her with anything, was because she had
the voice and smile of my mother. How I always got nervous around her and could only make fun of
her. Why I had invited her to the park with me so spontaneously. Why I had kissed her so at my
apartment...I stared at her picture, my eyes becoming wide and my throat contracting.
	"I..I'm in love with Serena......"

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