I know this is different…for me to be actually using the American dub names…but let's try something different, shall we? It's a very old story that I actually wrote several years ago…but I'm going back and redoing it completely. I could change to the Japanese names, but I'd actually like to keep the American ones, so at least I'll keep a little bit of the old story I wrote.

The Towel Rack
Rated: PG
Chapter One: Tales of an Eventful Morning
Day: Friday

(This story contains a lot of different points of view. Pay attention or you'll get confused.)

----Andrew POV----

I glanced around the arcade, bored. -Sigh.-

Where ARE they? For Pete's sakes, both of them should be here by now! It's almost four in the afternoon! AUGH! I'm so freaking bored! No fighting, no yelling, and no, no…-sigh- I seriously need to get out of this arcade.

Wait a second. There's Mina! And Raye! …not exactly the two people I was looking for…but who am I to turn down the chance to spend a few minutes with Mina?

---ZZZZZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!---

"Hi, girls! You wouldn't have happened to see the dueling duet anywhere, have you?" I asked hopefully, looking at the two girls, Mina Aino & Raye Hino, who were just entering the arcade and taking a seat in a booth. Raye's a raven haired beauty with dark, mysterious purple eyes and a fiery temper. What's so cool about her is that she's a priestess at the Hikawa Shrine, which I think is awesome. Oh, and Mina? Amazing! She's the best girl I know! Beautiful, sweet, fun, bright…okay, so the girl can be so air headed and flaky at times that it's a wonder she can figure out how to walk, but she's still very smart! She does well in school (or at least she was doing well the last time I checked…) and though she can get a little loopy at times, she's still a very intelligent girl….really! And then, of course, there's the fact that she's just amazingly beautiful…blonde sunny hair and sky blue eyes with a gorgeous smile...yup, she is most definitely an amazing girl…well, MY amazing girl.

"No, hon, I'm sorry. I haven't seen 'em. The last I heard, though, was from Amy. Raye and I saw her just a few minutes at the bookstore, and she said that Serena's been mad all day about Darien. She ran into him this morning again, and they exchanged insults, yatta yatta, and she slapped him. Poor guy…" She shook her head sadly and kissed my cheek as I sat down. "Business kinda slow?"

"Yup. Monday's after four always are. Why did she go so far as to slap him?"

"Amy didn't say. She should be in here in a few minutes, though. She said she would come by just as soon as she finished her shopping. Gah, she calls buying a book shopping. I'm so ashamed of her. But anyways, you can always just ask her. Sere blabbed to the poor thing about Darien all morning, so she tells me!"

I nodded. Then I gasped. "Oh, I forgot! Sorry, girls! Do you want anything?"

Mina giggled. "Nah, we'll give ya a break. I don't want anything."

Raye smirked. "Just cause you don't doesn't mean that I don't!" She laughed, tossing her black locks back with a swat of her hand. "Can I please go get a coke, Andrew?"

"Sure, I'll be right back!" I stood up promptly, back on the job.

"You don't have to do that, I said can get it!" Raye shook her head wildly.

I noticed the sliding glass doors open and saw an ebony haired man walk through them, scowling slightly. "No, no, it's my job, Raye. Don't worry about it; I'll be back in a little while…" I wandered off towards the front counter. I went behind the counter and made Raye's drink before turning to my next customer…the scowling one reading a physics book.

"Hey, Dar!"

The man looked up at me and winced slightly. "Must you always be so cheery, Andrew?"

I grinned. Darien Chiba is what one would call a grouch. I mean, don't get me wrong; Darien is a great guy! He's my best friend, one of the most loyal, dependable and trustworthy people on the entire planet, and he's really a nice person once you get to know him. But on the other hand, he can have some really sour moods. Sometimes I think it's because he works himself to death. I mean, he has this 'routine' that he goes by every day. He comes in here almost every morning and gets a cup of coffee, and then he saunters off to his work. Then, he comes back here in the afternoon, begging another coffee. After that, he sits and talks with me for a while, and then it's off to one of his many college classes. And that's just weekdays. Don't even get me started on the weekends! He's in here 3 or 4 times on those days for coffee, and I know he has at least 3 classes each day. The guy's living off coffee and text books; I know it. But sometimes, on the rare occasion, you'll find him having an off day where he has nothing to do. …Don't come around him on one of those days, I warn you. He's very rude and sour-faced when he's bored. I know; I'm the guy's best friend! I've had to put up with many an evil glare and death hold on my collar…but like I said, don't get me wrong! Darien is a great guy! One of the best! He just needs something to make his life more fulfilled…or maybe someone. I have plans for who that someone should be. I know the perfect girl who would make Darien's life a very happy one…and all I have to do is get him to agree.

I noticed a red mark on the side of his face. "Whoa…she must have hit you hard this morning!"

He groaned. "You heard?" He touched the mark, as if it was still tender.

"Yup…Mina and Raye told me all about it. They were told by Amy, who was told by Serena. They say that she's been talking about it all day. Hey, does that hurt? You want some ice?"

He laughed sardonically. "Oh, I'm that special to her, am I?" He shook his head. "And no, I don't want any ice; it's fine."

I shook my head. "What I want to know is what you did to make her slap you! She wouldn't have done something like that without a reason…oh, but you'll have to tell me in a minute. Raye's looking very antsy about her coke. I'll be right back."

I scurried off, Raye's coke in hand.

----Darien POV----

I watched Andrew run off to a booth where Raye and Mina sat, with Amy just sliding in to join them. I shook my head and turned back to my book. I had to get some studying in if I actually wanted to do well on the next day's exam.

My thoughts drifted away from the exam and intent of studying in a matter of seconds. Instead, these thoughts were replaced by those of the morning's events. I sighed, thinking of how upset little Serena had looked. Much less how beautiful her eyes were…

I shook my head violently. 'Now where did that come from?' Sighing, I looked back at where Andrew was standing and chatting aimlessly with Amy about something. I sighed. It had been a bad enough day without all this commotion.

'I'm going home to study in peace.' I muttered and turned around on the stool, ready to jump up off it, when the sliding doors of the arcade slid open and bells chimed the arrival of a new customer. I groaned at seeing who it was and turned back around, burying my face back in the book. Even if I couldn't exactly concentrate on reading it, I could always make the appearance that I was very intent on reading.

Only five seconds later did I feel a violent tap on my shoulder. I sighed miserably and turned around. 'Here we go again…'

Serena Tsukino stood looking at me with utter annoyance imprinted across her usually happy, livid face. Her hands were placed firmly on her school uniformed hips, while her crystal blue eyes were giving me a death glare that the Grim Reaper would be afraid of.

A staring contest ensued, and neither of us had the guts to actually speak up and say anything…the events of the morning obviously still in her mind as they were in mine.

After several moments of holding me in this death glare, she finally relaxed a bit and the…evil in her eyes…faded away…but not completely. She fixated a small smile on her face and held her head high, still staring straight at me.

I groaned and shook my head, pulling my eyes to look away from hers. "What is it now, Meatball head? Don't you think you've done enough damage for one day?" I scoffed slightly, making a point to make sure she knew that I was unaffected by anything she might have thrown at me…too bad I wasn't feeling as secure in that as I might have looked.

She pursed her rosy lips together into a thin line, a flicker of…some emotion (It couldn't have been sadness…could it?) entering her eyes for a moment, and then disappearing without a trace. "I was going to say that I was sorry for blowing up at you this morning…but I've changed my mind." She spun haughtily on her heel, her honey blonde pigtails twirling with her. She stopped before stomping away and turned to glance at me once more, ice in her stare. "My name is Serena, jerkwad."

I rolled my eyes. "I know your name." I stood and crossed the small distance that was between us. Cupping her chin in my hand, I leaned down and whispered in her ear. "I just prefer Meatball head."

I could hear her gasp as she jerked away and nearly ran to the back booth where her friends sat. I grinned as I watched her go. No other girl would ever be able to get to me like that one.

Andrew was standing beside me with a wide grin on his face when I looked away from Serena's retreating figure.

I rolled my eyes. "What do you want, Andrew?"

"I saw that." He said proudly, his arms crossed across his chest as if he had won a huge victory.

I raised an eyebrow slightly. "What?" Sitting again at the counter, I closed my text book. Studying was out of the question.

The blonde strode behind the counter and leaned across it to stare me down. "THAT. Whispering in the girl's ear, Darien? That very much looked like flirting."

I sighed, shaking my head. "That was me getting beneath her skin much like she did me this morning. I didn't enjoy being slapped; she didn't enjoy that. It was payback."

Andrew smirked lightly. "Didn't enjoy it? She looked to be on Cloud 9 to me."

"You're hallucinating again, Drew."

A blonde eyebrow nearly hit the roof. "Oh? I don't think so, my dear friend. I think it is you who is hallucinating. Hallucinating to the point that you're imagining that you DIDN'T see that look in Serena's eyes when you whispered to her like that. I'm not hallucinating; I'm not blind to it all like you're trying to be."

Blinking rapidly, I stood up, grabbing my books. "I don't know what you're talking about. I have to go; big exam tomorrow and I need to study."

"Fine then! But if you won't start to see it; I'll MAKE YOU!" I heard him yell as I ran out the arcade doors…catching a very interesting stare coming from Serena's general direction.

I sighed. Andrew seriously needs to start some form of medication…I wonder what in these books I could possibly conjure up for him to take? I mean…the guy's seriously making up some bull in that head of his!

----------------------------------------------------------

END CHAPTER ONE

Yep, that was the first chapter! The next one should be out soon, and in this one we get to see Serena's point of view a bit more…oi, it's odd saying Serena instead of Usagi. Hehe…but I'm trying!

See you all next chapter!

Luna