Hi anybody and everybody who is reading this...thanks! This is not the first fanfic I've ever written, but it the first one I have put up on the web. So both positive and negative reviews with suggestions for improvement are welcomed with open arms!

This story is a bit of an anime and manga plotline mixed up with my own bits and pieces. As always, its Usagi/Mamoru (although I've used the english dub names). Hope you enjoy:-)

Chapter 1: Baka and the Odango

Serena hurried out of detention and sprinted down the street toward the arcade, hoping she wasn't too late to see Andrew. He got off at 5:00, and today Serena was in detention until 4:30 because she was late for the third time that week. And today was only Wednesday. Her thoughts drifted into daydreams as she continued to hurry around corners and past cars, turning to run through the door when—

She ran straight into something hard and green. She looked up. "Oh no," she thought, her heart sinking, "Baka."

"Hey, watch it there, Odango! You're lucky it was only me you ran into, 'cause if it had been any little kid you probably would have flattened them."

"Oh shut up, Darien, and get out of my way," Serena snapped. She was not about to let Darien waste her precious little time she had that afternoon.

"I would, but it seems you have managed to get that insanely long hair of yours caught around the button of my jacket," he said, gesturing.

"Oh." Serena felt even stupider. Not to mention that if there was one person in the world she would rather not get stuck to, it was the man right in front of her. She struggled with her hair for a few moments, and finding no success at untangling it, stiffened her resolve and pulled hard until a few strands broke and released her from her captor. It had hurt, but she wasn't about to let tears fall and say so. Darien would tease her for it, and Andrew was just a few feet away. "Now, move," she said finally, thrusting Darien's blockade of the door out of the way. He smirked and stalked away.

She walked into the arcade not only to greet Andrew's smiling face, but also those of her four friends: Ami, Raye, Lita, and Mina. But they had different sorts of smiles on their faces, almost more like bemused grins…

"Hey Serena!" Andrew said, "The usual?"

"Yes, please," Serena said. He brought her a chocolate shake and she paid him before going to sit down with her friends. Gosh it was good to be out of school and away from that baka…

Raye turned to Serena, smirking. "Smooth move, back there, Odango." Serena glared. It wasn't like it was her fault—well, maybe it was, but Serena would never admit it. So she gave Raye a look of contempt but didn't say anything.

Unfortunately, however, that wasn't the end of the conversation concerning the baka. Lita and Mina exchanged glances before eying Serena as though they knew something she didn't. Okay well, maybe there was a lot others knew that she didn't, but their stares was making her nervous just the same. Serena sighed.

"What is it, you two? Something else I klutzed out on?" Mina spoke first.

"Well, no, not exactly, it's just—" she chanced a glance at the other three, "It seems like maybe there is more going on between you two than you let on." Serena laughed sarcastically.

"Oh yes, and next you're going to be telling me that you think he's Tuxedo Mask! HA! As if anyone could like that baka; the way he waltzes around like he's king of the earth or something…." But Mina just raised her eyebrows, and Raye said simply,

"Serena, we know you better than you know yourself. Come on, admit it. Besides, we think he likes you too."

"Very funny, guys, but this joke is out of my taste. Cut it out already." Serena laughed but then saw the seriousness in their faces and looked at them all like they had eight heads instead of four. "You…you are kidding….right?" Lita shook her head and smiled weakly.

"Serena, honestly, we know you two actually care for each other. It's time you both admitted it."

"You're all insane!" Serena said loudly, "We're talking about Darien the baka! This is absurd!" When she heard no response, Serena realized she was fighting a losing battle and took a deep breath. "Okay, listen, this conversation is going nowhere. Time for a new topic."

Ami seemed to be thinking along the same lines as she quickly lowered her voice turned the conversation to sailor business.

"There's a ball downtown tonight I can bet that Zoicite's going to be there in search of another rainbow crystal. We are supposed to meet Luna at the temple at 6:00 tonight. Okay guys?"

"Right." A chorus of four girls responded, and they all got up to leave.

Serena walked home alone, lost in thought. Her friends were insane! Surely they realized the sincere dislike she and Darien had for each other. It wasn't exactly hard to see; every one of them was smart enough to realize how ridiculous their ideas were. But—but even Ami had remained silent, which Serena knew meant she was in agreement with the rest but didn't want to voice her opinions. Serena was thoroughly confused. It was Darien, the man who teased her, the one whose purpose on earth seemed to be merely to humiliate and annoy her to death. But then, he was attractive, even if it was in a jerk sort-of way. Whoa! Did she really have feelings for Darien that even she didn't know about? No. Surely not. Her heart was already given to one man, and his true identity she didn't know. She liked Tuxedo Mask, and that was that. Sure Andrew was cute, but she had always known that he would never see her as more than a little sister figure. But there was something very familiar about Tuxedo Mask, like a memory packed away in a corner of her mind that she just couldn't quite reach.

Serena's mind continued to spin as she wandered home to change before meeting the girls. And then she realized that since this was sailor business, she could legally use the luna pen.

"Ha! Luna, take that! You can't yell at me for using it tonight!" And she scurried into the house in excitement.