San Francisco

Chapter One

By A Shot of Amber

Hi! I'm back with a brand new story. This one is set in 1967 in America and mostly has to do with Serena and Darien. I'm basing the story off the song " San Francisco (Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair)" by Scott McKenzie. You can probably find it on any 60's CD or you can defy the music industry and download it. Its all up to you!

Any way please be kind and read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Thank you!

San Francisco

Chapter One

It was the last day of high school. Cloaked in navy colored gowns and mortarboard hats my fellow classmates tromped across the stage shaking the principal's hand and accepting rolled up diplomas tied with red ribbon.

And I was one of them.

At graduation I was co-valedictorian so I got to make this big speech all alone by myself on the stage. My partner, the other valedictorian, a pretty girl with waist long red hair went first and talked about us, as people, falling into roles that were assigned to us from birth. After she had finished and sat down, flashing me a brilliant smile, I stood up and walked to the podium, my speech written on a piece of blue lined paper clutched in my hands.

" Today we walk through the gates of childhood and enter the land of adults. It's been a fun journey but now we must take on responsibility and realize what is in front of us."

It was the summer of '67 and a lot of things were going on. The war in Vietnam was raging across the Pacific Ocean taking away the young men of America to fight and die for a country they knew so little about. I was one of those young men. After high school ended and a few weeks had passed I would be due in San Francisco to report for armed duty. I had the choice of college or the army. My mother wanted me to go to college, my dad the army. If I had had my choice it would have been college, a safe haven from war but my dad refused to pay for a liberal arts education as he called it, so I enlisted.

My mother had been saddened by the thought of me going off to war. She had cried and pleaded with my father but he wouldn't budge. He had been a solider also fighting in World War II in the Pacific islands. My mother had been his high school sweetheart whom he married in 1946. I was born in 1950, their only child and from the day of my birth my father thought of me as an army man. I would fight and maybe die for my country and my father would be proud. Never mind what mother thought, I had to be a man. If I ever wanted to please my father, something I had been trying to do for 18 years then I had to be a man.

Darien Shields strode across the stage and accepted his diploma from the principal who shook his hand and gave him a comment on his speech.

" Thank you sir," I replied then kept walking past the other administrators to his seat in the grass. Along the way I shared a high five with my friend Andrew who was sitting in the second row. Some people snickered while a lot of the girls sighed and threw longing smiles at me. I didn't even see this; my eyes were scanning the crowds looking for my parents. Disappointed that I didn't see them I sat down in my seat.

In high school when I looked back in a later time I would admit I was sort of a Casanova. I went on a few dates with girls but the most I have ever done with them was neck in my parent's car at the local drive in. Even though necking is fun, I could never stay with a girl long enough to form a commitment. While the other guys were taking their girlfriends to the prom in puffy pink dresses, I stayed home and studied. Maybe there was a girl out there for me, the kind that would make my heart race. Until then I had better things to worry about like how I was going to spend the time before I went to California.

I was jolted from my thoughts as around me the other students stood up and threw their mortarboards in the air cheering that they were down with high school. I quickly stood up and took off my mortarboard and threw it into the air, a few seconds to late. I caught it in my hand and begin to follow the long line of people walking into the open field to find friends and loved ones. I was the same way; I was heading towards the stands to find my parents when a hand clamped down on my shoulder.

" Great speech man." Andrew patted my back and grinned at me.

I smiled back. " I'm glad you liked it, I thought I had bored the audience when I didn't get half the applause my partner did."

" She only got applause because she was pretty." Andrew shook his head and let go of my shoulder. " So are you going to find your parents?"

" Yea."

" Great I'll come with you, maybe mine and yours sat together," Andrew replied. He started to weave through the crowds leaving me to follow him. Together we walked up to the stands looking around them through the people laughing and talking till I spotted the tall lean body of my father standing next to the shorter form of my mother.

" Mom! Dad!" I waved my arm to get their attention then ran up to them. I swooped his mother into a hug startling her into laughter.

" Oh Darien your speech was wonderful!" Mrs. Shields sighed dabbing a handkerchief at her eyes.

" Great job son," Mr. Shields replied holding out his hand to shake mine.

" Thank you dad." I shook his father's hand and smiled. " Well I'm glad to be done with high school. I'm all over with that kind of stuff."

" And at the proper time, the war is growing so you shouldn't find any problems in serving in armed combat. I bet you could even get a Purple Heart if you get wounded."

" Dad I haven't been out of high school for 15 minutes and your talking about war. I've got time to worry about getting wounded. Right now I just want to relax and hang out with friends."

" Speaking of hanging out with friends," Andrew spoke up, " I was wondering if it would be alright for Darien to come out with the fellows tonight?"

" Oh, I was hoping that Darien would have dinner with the family tonight. Its his first night as an adult and I wanted his to spend it with the family," Mrs. Shields replied.

" Nonsense," Mr. Shields replied gruffly. He was hoping that Darien would find a girl this summer so when he returned from armed combat he would have someone to marry and raise children with so he always encouraged Darien to go out. " The boy can have dinner then go out with his friends and you can join us if you like Andrew."

" I would like that but I'm probably going to be due at home for a celebration with my parents. I can pick you up after dinner," Andrew replied poking me in the arm. "But now I better go, my folks are probably looking for me." Andrew waved goodbye and disappeared into the crowd.

" Such a nice boy," Mrs. Shields sighed then turned to me and begin to brush off my gown. " What do you say we get out of here and go home? I can fix up some cookies before dinner."

" Thanks mom but I'm not hungry," I replied as I pulled off my mortarboard.

" That's fine, its not a good idea to ruin your appetite," Mrs. Shields replied."

" Now dear leave the boy be and lets get out of here, I want to beat the traffic home," Mr. Shields said has he begin to walk towards the exit of the fields. Mrs. Shields sighed again as if something was bothering her and begin to follow her husband out of the stadium with me behind her.

I turned once and looked through the crowd at my fellow classmates hugging and congratulating each other. I sighed once and followed my parents to the car.

Andrew came by at eight o' clock in his dad's 1964 Ford. Rita sat in the front seat chewing on some bubble gum.

Rita was like the new kind of girl coming out, the hippie. She had long red hair like hippies when other girls had page boys and bubble cuts. Rita wasn't a hippie though; she was one of the smartest girls in the class and the co-valedictorian. She was going to college to become a scientist. Rita didn't want to get married right away like some girls; she was set into a more modern time. Andrew was okay with this, he was going to work in his dad's arcade. Andrew was registered for the draft and said if he was picked he would go. Andrew didn't really care about life. He just floated through it in this happy haze.

I was sometimes so jealous of him. Everyone always said I was too serious. My dad liked that but my mom said I needed to ease up and find someone, a girlfriend would do me good. I didn't have time for a girlfriend in school, maybe tonight I would find one.

With this optimistic thought in my head, I slammed the front door shut and ran down the sidewalk to where Andrew and Rita sat in the car.

" Hey Darien, great speech today!" Rita popped her gum once and smiled at me.

" Thanks Rita." I opened the door and hopped into the back seat. As I shut the door Andrew stepped on the gas and they took off with a roar of the engine.

" So where are we going?" I asked over the roar of the engine.

" Alice's Place. Everyone is going there tonight to celebrate graduation."

Rita laughed. " I heard that Ronnie King will be there berating the school for not graduating him."

" Its his own fault for getting caught at that college party with the keg," Andrew replied.

" Yea but he also got the worst grades in school. Sure he's on the football team but that doesn't mean your going to breeze through school."

" Rita don't worry about Ronnie, its his own fault that he didn't graduate. Tonight we're going to party!" Andrew turned on the radio and turned it up.

" Yuck I hate this song," Rita complained as The Vandellas came on.

" Would you rather listen to Jimmy Hendrix or the Doors?" Andrew asked looking at her.

" The Doors aren't half bad. They were on the Ed Sullivan show," Rita replied.

" They are a drug band, you know psychedelic, not the kind of things we listen too."

I sat back in the back seat and listened to Rita and Andrew fight about music choices. I was used to it, Andrew and I were part of the clean cut gang of kids that ruled the school. The hippie generation was not part of his small town America. Instead it was more like 1963 with Del Shannon playing his guitar and the Beatles saying they want to hold your hand. Rita was not a hippie, she was just as clean cut as Andrew but her music choices were more perverse. While Andrew listened to the Beach Boys, Rita was rocking to The Doors.

Andrew turned into the parking lot of Alice's Place. Already former students, most of them seniors were there eating ice cream and sitting on their cars talking to the others. Girls in flowered skirts with bubble cut hairdos waved to us as we passed. Some even shrieked Rita's name as if they hadn't seen her in weeks instead of just a few short hours. Andrew carefully maneuvered the car into a parking spot and turned off the engine. He climbed out then pushed the seat forward so I could get out. A few girls saw me and started giggling and whispered to each other. I smiled weakly and followed Andrew over to where Rita was. They took each others hand and begin walking over to the girl behind the window while I followed them.

I watched those linked hands. Everyone in school knew that Andrew and Rita were going to get married. They had already decided it when they met in junior high. First Rita would finish college, get her degree then settle down in a good job with Andrew as her husband and maybe a few kids. Me? I would go into the army and spend my days dropping napalm bombs and shooting Viet Cong. If I wasn't killed in my first year I might even be promoted so I wouldn't be a private all the time. Maybe I would even get captain.

" So Darien what are you getting?" Rita asked as she pulled her gum from her mouth and threw it in a nearby trash can.

" The usual, chocolate ice cream dipped in chocolate sprinkles on a waffle cone," I replied.

" Hmm," Rita studied the menu hanging above the serving window. " I am on a diet but I really want some ice cream so I think I'll get a black and white."

" Rita why would you be on a diet? Your as thin as a stick!" Andrew replied in a sarcastic shocked voice.

" Oh please, I'm as fat as a truck," she replied holding out her hands to show how fat she was then walked up to the window and put in her order.

" Chocolate cone dipped in chocolate sprinkles," I told the girl who asked me what I wanted in a bored voice.

" It'll be up in a minute." She closed the window and stepped into the interior of the kitchen to get our orders.

I absentmindly looked around me at the other students laughing and talking. A couple was necking in their car. I watched that couple then moved on to look at the girls. They sat on the hood of their boyfriend's cars eating ice cream. Girls who were alone and didn't have a boyfriend whispered in each others ears and studied the boys hoping to find one who wasn't with a girl.

" Orders up!" The girl behind the window was back. She handed Rita her glass then handed me a cone dipped in chocolate sprinkles. I was taking it when the sound of a horn blaring filled my ears.

I turned around to see an orange VW bus enter the parking lot. Through the windows curtains I could see the face of a person I didn't recognize. The van moved slowly through the crowds which backed away to let it through.

" What is that?" Rita asked Andrew never taking her eyes off the van.

" It's one of those VW buses. Hippies usually drive them ," Andrew replied.

" Hippies? Here?" Rita turned to look around her at the other people who were staring at the bus which had turned into a parking spot and was now opening its doors. From the drivers side came a man with bushy brown hair and a scraggily beard dressed in bell bottoms and a yellow peasant shirt with brown embroidery. A girl with long black hair walked up to him and looked around her with haughty eyes. The dark haired girl was dressed a lot like the man in jeans and pheasant blouse but that didn't matter as I saw the other girl who climbed out of the van. It was a girl with long blond hair to her waist. She wore a loose white dress with long floaty sleeves and a brown leather vest over it. A few strings of love beads were around her heck and she wore a head band of woven hemp. She was beautiful and she was definetly a hippie.

This strange group walked past the people staring at them up to the girl at the serving window. The leader, obviously the man with the scraggily beard, stepped up and begin to order ice cream for the group. The two girls stood back and waited while I could only stare at the blond one with the beautiful eyes. Her eyes were blue, like the sky. I was awestruck. She must have seen me because slowly she turned her head and met my eyes. Those sky blue eyes were like a klieg light on mine. I did the only thing I could do, I turned my head away and took a bite of my ice cream which was slowly melting in my hand.

The leader handed the two girls ice cream cones then headed towards a table near by. I noticed that the blond girl had gotten chocolate ice cream also and that when she walked her long hair shifted from side to side. They sat down at the table clustered in a small group. Everyone who had been watching them in silence begin to talk and whisper. Hippies like I said were not a main part of the culture in my town. Everyone was clean cut or like a 50's greaser wearing pink shirts and leather jackets. Hippies had all left for San Francisco or New York to converge and live in peace, yet here in front my eyes were three hippies. The man had long hair to his shoulders, something my dad would roar about if he saw. I know this sounds strange to be describing hippies like they were aliens but in my town they were!

" Did you get a look at the brunette?" Andrew asked me with his eyes on the dark haired girl. " Talk about a good looker."

" I prefer the blond myself," I replied.

" She's cute too but that dark haired girl must be foreign born, I've never seen eyes like that."

I didn't say anything in reply to Andrew but was instead watching as a small group of people walked up to the group, the leader being a tall swaggering former football player from school. His name, Ronnie King. Behind him his cohorts and their girlfriends talked and laughed and gave the small group mean looks.

" We don't except free lovers in this town," Ronnie said looking down at the group who stopped talking and looked up at him. " You flower picking hippies might as well get out of here, like I said free love is not accepted here."

The leader, the one with the beard got up and gave his ice cream to the blond girl. " Hey man, we aren't doing anything wrong, the girls here wanted some ice cream so we just stopped."

Ronnie laughed and gave his friends a look before turning back to the leader. "Hey man! What the hell kind of language is that?" He gabbed a finger into the leaders chest. " I suggest you take your little harem and get out of here, we don't want no dirty free loving hippies ruining our town."

" Why don't you shut that mouth of yours? It might clear the dirt in the air." The dark haired girl lashed out.

Ronnie just laughed while the leader turned around and told her to be quiet. "Listen to that! The dirty hippie broad thinks she can tell me to be quiet!" His gang of cohorts laughed. " Why don't you teach your girl some manners, she can use them." Ronnie looked down at the blond who was ignoring all this then turned back to the leader. " Now I suggest you get out. Your not wanted here."

" We are not leaving. We have every right to be here-" the leader began but was silenced by Ronnie who threw a punch right in his face. The leader fell back with blood streaming out of his nose. The two girls jumped up as he fell back on the table.

" You dirty son of a-" The dark haired girl yelled rushing towards Ronnie who caught her arms as she begin to hit him on the chest.

" Fire! You know we don't promote violence!" The blond girl yelled as she cradled the leaders head in her arms.

" Yea little girl, you don't promote violence," Ronnie mimicked pushing her away. " Your little blond friend is right." He reached out and touched the blonde's hair. His voice took on a deeper pitch as he stroked it. " Maybe you and I should get together sometime. I can make it fun."

" I would rather not," the blond replied pulling away from him. She reached up and pulled her hair onto her other shoulder before turning to what I had dubbed the leader to see if he was okay.

Ronnie's nostrils flared, they always did when he got angry. I would know; he got angry a lot.

" Sweetie," he said in a sugary sweet voice filled with anger, " you don't pull away from me. Don't you know who I am?"

" How would she know who you are Ronnie? She doesn't live here!" One of his cronies yelled causing general laughter to break out. Behind me Rita giggled covering her mouth with her hand.

" Shut up!" Ronnie yelled whipping his hand behind him to shut up the laughter.

The blond girl watched him, her blue eyes steadily staring into his own brown ones.

" What are you looking at?" His voice sounded a little puzzled.

" You, you run around promoting violence and hitting on girls who don't even find you attractive. I wonder," she paused, " did you graduate high school? Or did you just get drunk a lot and held back?

" You dumb bitch! You should know better then to say something like that to me! I'll show you some stars!" Ronnie raised his hand as if to slap her but I stopped him. I didn't know why I did that but the thought of the girl getting slapped for saying the truth was too much for me.

I ran forward and grabbed Ronnie's arm surprising him. He stopped and turned around his nostrils flaring.

" What the hell are you doing?"

" You shouldn't hit a women for telling the truth. Why don't you go and pick on someone your own size?" I asked lowering his arm which I noticed were bulging with muscles.

" Shut up Shields. I don't want to hear your bullshit from you. This dumb bitch," he threw a dirty look at her which she met with unwavering eyes, " insulted me. She deserves to be knocked about. In fact both of these women do."

"You shouldn't hit a woman," Fire replied.

" Hush Fire." The leader was getting up wiping blood from his face. He walked up to the blond girl and pushed her behind him. " Look man, like I said, we promote peace not violence. All the girls wanted was some ice cream. We'll be out of here soon enough."

" Watch out here comes the cops." Rita called as a squad car pulled up and two cops got out.

I let go of Ronnie's arm who stepped back and threw the small group a dirty look before walking off with his cronies and their girlfriends. One girl looked back and giggled as she whispered something about dirty hippies.

The cops didn't even notice the group walking away but instead went straight up to the counter to order. I was left alone with the hippies, the leader wiping blood from his nose while the dark haired girl watched Ronnie and his cohorts leaving. I was aware that the blond girl was looking at me but I didn't meet her eyes.

" You did a good thing." It was the leader speaking. I looked at him, he was holding out his had so I shook it. " My name is Tim. I really appreciate you helping us out."

I shook the man's hand then let go. " It was really no problem, I know Ronnie from school and he's always been a bully." I turned to the dark haired girl, Fire, who was brushing back some stray locks. " I'm sorry he was so mean to you miss and you too," I added in an after thought to the blond girl.

She smiled at me, God what a smile. " You are very brave. When our leader was down you were so brave to fight that man, Ronnie."

" It was no problem," I replied sheepishly.

" I didn't catch your name. I wonder how am I supposed to thank so wonderful a man?" She asked.

I blushed at this remark, she was turning me to water. " My name is Darien, Darien Shields, recent high school graduate and co-valedictorian of my class." She didn't want to hear that!

The blond girl just smiled and took my hand in hers. " I must say congratulations to you. My name is Serena but everyone calls me Moon."

Of course her nickname, and what a beautiful nickname!

" Moon," I repeated feeling the name on my lips. " That's a beautiful name."

" My last name means moon, I am the goddess of the moon and you are my shepherd, Endymion." She tightened her grip on my hand.

" Now Moon you must stop, your scaring this man who so bravely fought for us." Tim was speaking again, damn him for interrupting her. I wanted to be Serena's shepherd.

Tim turned to me while Serena let go of my hand. " I gather that since you graduated you are going to college?"

" Actually no, I'm going to into the army." I could have bit my tongue off for that one. The looks on Tim and Fire's faces could have come out of the same mold. They were both shocked. Only Serena still smiled and held onto my hand.

" Tim, Fire, he must join us," she turned to her companions, " I want him to come with us to the movies tonight. I'm interested in talking to an army man."

" Now Moon," Tim begin but was interrupted by Fire. " Yes I think that would be a wonderful idea. Please come with us Mr. Shields." She looked at Serena with an odd look in her eyes. I couldn't quite discern it.

" Please Mr. Shields, Darien." Serena looked up at me, straight into my eyes and I was lost.

" Yes, of course," I flustered then suddenly remember Andrew and Rita who were standing near by watching the whole scene and listening. " I'm sure my friends would love to come with also."

Instantly Rita was shaking her head and taking a hold of Andrew's arm. " Oh we'd love to but we couldn't. I have a million things to do and Andrew has to drive me home. Thank you for the offer but really we must be going." Rita began pulling Andrew away who was still protesting.

" Now Rita what do we have to do tonight?"

" Look at her eyes Andrew," Rita whispered into his ear.

He looked, his own eyes widening before he allowed Rita to pull him away.

" I'm sorry Darien but I better drive Rita home, I'll call you tomorrow." Andrew called as he and Rita walked off.

" You can still come if your friends don't want too," Fire said crossing her arms over her chest. " We are going to see the movie The Graduate."

" I'd love too," I replied feeling Serena's hands squeeze mine.

" Wonderful! Climb in girls! You too Darien and we'll be off." Tim walked over to the driver's side and climbed in while Fire climbed in the passenger's seat and Serena got in on the side. I followed her in and found myself in the smallest living quarters. Curtains hung from the windows and the floor was covered in a worn out red plush carpet. Against the back doors luggage and a guitar case lay stacked on top of each other. Serena sat leaning against them so I closed the door behind me and rested my back against it. Tim started the engine and we were off, me and the two hippie girls and their leader. What was I getting myself into?

Chapter two is coming up soon. Please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Thank you!