There is a lot of dialogue. Sorry. Review please though. I appreciate every criticisim and praise. I also apologize for it taking me so long to update. Hopefully, I'll have some time during this Thanksgiving break. Thanks for reading, I appreciate it.


A TWIST OF THE WRIST

Chapter 6

DIVINE MISS j


It had been two weeks since I had seen Darien. During that time I decided to go back to my life. I talked to Lita and Mina. I laid on Mina's huge king sized bed and told them everything that had happened those past few days.

Truthfully, I told them how I did not remember a lot. I still have no idea how I ended up on the beach, running into Andrew. Mina of course thought it was romantic, how he let me pass out in the bed and slept on the couch. She was too romantic sometimes. I was just grateful that I was not attacked by any stranger.

I decided also to see Mina's therapist. Obviously I had some issues.

I sat in the waiting room, apprehensive about this whole therapy thing. It was going to be official, I am crazy and will probably die at the hands of some nut job just because I thought he was pretty. I really needed to stop watching American Psycho.

The door opened and a beautiful girl with long, glossy black hair walked out and sat across from me. For a couple seconds, I felt self conscious. She looked familiar though. I tried to not look at her, but I could feel her glaring at me. I looked up at her and clashed with her stare.

"Going to therapy?" She asked.

"Um…yeah,"

"The dragon lady, be warned!"

I laughed a little at that, "why do you call her the dragon lady,"

She smiled darkly and whispered, "because she looks like one!"

Mina never said anything about her looking like a "dragon", but then again as long as she could fix me I really didn't care.

"Why are you going here?"

"She was recommended,"

"No, I mean what's wrong with you?"

I inwardly winced.

"Don't lie,"

'don't lie'. Should I tell her the truth? From the way she looks she looks like she could handle it. So I took a deep breath.

"I think I'm in love with my mother's boyfriend." I said, then asked, "you?"

"I killed my mother"

"What?!"

She laughed and flipped her hair and replied, "no I'm a pyromaniac, I like fire,"

"You look familiar,"

"So do you"

"I'm Serena LeBlanc,"

"Ah, Serenity's daughter. Of course you would be in love with her boyfriend"

I realized maybe I shouldn't be telling a stranger my deep dark secret. What if it got to the tabloids? Oh god, what if my mother found out. She would eviscerate me!

"I'm Rei, Rei Hastings."

"Hastings? Oh, Senator Harrington's daughter,"

No wonder she needed therapy. Her father was just caught in a huge prostitution sex harassment scandal. I tried not to look fazed by it. My session was suppose to be starting soon, so I tried to talk about anything besides our parents. We talked for about a good five minutes, and I soon felt myself drawn to her. She was so interesting and just had such confidence. As clichéd as it sounds she was like a breath of fresh air.

"I should warn you," she informed me with hauntingly dark violet eyes, "I make friends fast… and lose them easily.

Her eyes flickered from darkness back to light so quickly that I almost didn't even registered it. Despite it all, I smiled. She intrigued me and looked like she was as almost as broken as me; maybe even more.

"So when is your mother coming back?" she asked.

"In about three days," I sighed.

"Well, then," she flipped her lacquered black hair, "good, we still have time."

"time?"

"Yeah,"

I blinked, still not comprehending her, but at the same time she had me so completely mesmerized that I would probably do anything for her.

"Invite me over after you're done with the dragon lady," she smiled huge, "don't worry, we won't get into much trouble."

Her phone vibrated. Her ride was here.

She grabbed an old issue of vogue in the basket by her and pulled out a page. It was some of some Russian model puckering her lips in black and white. Rei found a purple sharpie and scrawled her number over the model's immaculate skin and then dropped it in my lap.

She waved goodbye and then disappeared.

I clutched onto the page, suddenly feeling excitement once more.


"So, you think you are in love with him?" the dragon lady said calmly.

I blushed. How ridiculous was this?

"Maybe not love, but I am definitely attracted to him. But he is my mother's boyfriend. So obviously I need some help. I need to stop thinking of him and daydreaming of him. It's childish."

She uncrossed her legs and didn't say anything. She just looked at me with such intent.

"How is your relationship with your mother?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you get a long with her?"

"I don't see how that is relevant?"

"You think you are in you are in love with your mother's boyfriend? How is that not relevant"

"Look, I don't want to talk about my mother, okay!" I snapped. She really was a dragon lady.

Another half and hour talking about my feelings and dodging questions about my mother and I was so over therapy. I could figure this out by myself. But then she said something. Something I wasn't expecting

"You keep saying that you want to be fixed that you don't want to have these feelings for him. But at the same time you agonizingly speak about everything about how he looks and acts but you have barely said more than four sentences to each other."

What was the point of this? I thought she was suppose to just give me a pill and make me forget my feelings.

"You don't know him, Serena. You are probably just attracted to him for his looks. Is it really worth it? For a guy you barely know, who will change your whole world, more towards the worse than the better?"

I sat in shock.

"Is that it? That's all you got?"

"All I got? No, you have a huge complex because of your mother and I would like to explore that more"

I scowled. "I don't think that will be necessary," and I left to forget that horrible hour.


Rei arrived at exactly 6:18 in the afternoon, dressed in all black except for a deep red jacket. She looked like the modern snow white with her porcelain skin and pouty red lips.

"Wow, your mother has very good taste," she said, admiring my house.

"Yeah, she does," I inadverntaly blushed as an image of Darien cam to me. I proceeded to scold myself mentally.

She caught my gaze and then smiled as though she could read my thoughts. She started to walk around and then stopped almost dead in her tracks.

"Serena!" she exclaimed and turned around, "oh I have the most perfect idea!!"

I was thrown off by her cheerfulness. I was getting use to her sulky mysteriousness.

"I have this model friend who wants to start his photography career," she started, "and well, you can be the perfect model to model with me!"

"What?!"

"Yes! And this house is perfect! It has the most perfect grandeur feeling and we can do it tonight!"

I was completely thrown off, I thought we were going to maybe just get drunk and watch a dumb movie. I definitely had no aspirations to be a model. My own mother barely modeled.

"Rei, I can't. I mean you can use the house, but I can't model!" I winced, "I mean I'm so awkward looking!"

"Look Serena," she walked toward me and put two hands on my shoulders and looked into my eyes, "I don't do the whole dumb bullshit girly thing and dish out fake compliments to make you feel better. I'm honest and you are the perfect contrast to me, and nevertheless you are way too good looking to not be in front of a camera."

I gulped.

"And plus its just a friend who is going to take pictures. Come on we can do shots all together. It's not like a real ad thing!"

I pondered for about a couple seconds and then realized she was right. Plus, it couldn't hurt. I put my hands on of her shoulders and then said, "okay,".

She smiled devilishly. "I'll call my friend, you go grab the tequila."

I rushed to the kitchen and looked throughout the cabinets and then found gold. We did only two shots and then danced around the empty mansion to some rock music that I never have even heard before. I was exhilarated as we twisted and turned around, putting on my old formal gowns and layering on too much jewelry.

We opened all the windows and let the end of summer breeze throughout causing the smallest Goosebumps on our arms. After what had seemed only a couple of minutes, the doorbell rang numerous times and we laughed our way down the stairs to open the door.

Rei swiftly unlocked the door and smiled with delight at the tall blonde man.

"Andrew!"

I felt my stomach turn. It really was a small world. Andrew McBride was Rei's model friend trying to start his photography career and I, ME, was going to help. Darien would be so pissed if he found out that he was here, but I blocked it all out and went and hugged him.

"Hello, there!" he said.

"Andrew, this is my new friend Serena! Isn't she just perfect!"

"Too, perfect for words," he responded and swiftly turned and smiled to Rei, "Rei, darling sorry to triumph over you once again, but I am already acquainted with Serena."

I laughed as Rei's smile pouted. I led them to the living room where I proceeded to give them more shots.

Suddenly Rei and I were posing to Andrew's camera and we were all laughing and drinking and dancing. It looked like one of those badly written T.V. shows about teenagers with bad music but nevertheless it felt perfect.

Suddenly we were in my bedroom and Rei and I got under the white covers almost as if we were pretending to hide from Andrew. But of course he found us with his camera and suddenly kissed Rei strongly on the lips. I gasped with excitement. They both were so beautiful. Her black hair entangling with his sun blonde hair. I grabbed his camera and then stood on top of them and started taking pictures of him. Focusing the lens only on specific parts; his hand caught in her jacket, her chipped red nails placed so closely on his thigh. They only kissed about two times when suddenly he started to laugh, looking up at me.

"Ah, so now you are going to be the artiste?!?" he laughed and grabbed my legs underneath of me.

I tried to regain my breath and took off my dress revealing my black slip.

"Andrew, get close to her!" Rei demanded, and she began to take more pictures as he began to touch my body tentatively.

"You know Darien would kill me if he ever knew I was here," he husked into my ear, "especially touching you like this." His fingers were barely touching my skin.

We drank more and then had either the greatest idea or the worst. We decided to invite a few people over. I of course invited Lita, Mina, and Seiya. The only three people that I even really knew.

Andrew called some friend over and Rei called another.

I was so unbelievably happy and for a moment completely forgot about Darien and his stupid, brooding self. He was for sure probably drinking himself into a coma, right now. Then I remembered, he was with my mother in Italy.

"Hey! Serena! EARTH TO SERENA!!!" Chad, Andrew's friend, called out to me interrupting my thoughts, "want another?" pointing at the freshly made margaritas.

"Sure," I beamed. I looked around and everyone just so relaxed, and drunk. Andrew was flirting with Lita unabashedly, and I could tell she was enjoying it. Mina was bonding with they reoccurring blue haired girl Amy. Apparently, Rei is really good friends with her and Lita and Mina met her at the Paramount ball. Rei was rejecting Chad's offer of margaritas but still he lingered around her asking random questions. As I absorbed everything in Seiya wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into him. I couldn't deny that I still had feelings for him. Even though I was the worst girlfriend ever. I was pinning for an older man and had been so distant.

"Haven't seen you in a long time," he said, with a hint of gloominess in his voice.

"I know, I'm sorry," I laid my head against his chest and let him play with his hair.

"I'm glad you invited me."

I don't have to make this mistake, I told myself in my head. I could let him go and stop stringing him along. But then my heart grew weary at thought of him not being there. Even if I could get Darien to want to be with me, I could never see myself choosing him over Seiya. We just had so much history.

"Stay with me tonight," I whispered.

"Are you sure?"

I turned around and kissed him simply on the lips and then longer. I opened my eyes and saw him for the first time. A sweet boy who actually did want me.

"I need to tell you something, though" he said, his eyes saddening a little bit.

"Tell me later," I smiled, "I don't want to hear anything but laughter and feel anything but happiness. I'm just tired of being hurt."

His lips clenched together but then swiftly relaxed. We went back to our small crowd and shared stupid songs and stories. We finished the night jumping in the pool with only our underwear on, laughing at all the absurdity.


I woke up to my head throbbing once more, but at the same time felt good as I snuggled up to Seiya. His arms were a little bit harrier then I remembered and suddenly opened my eyes to see Andrew in my bed.

"ANDREW!" I shouted horrified.

"gosh, keep it down, baby," another voice said, Seiya's voice.

I turned around and saw Seiya's half naked body. I was so confused and horrified.

"Oh my god, what have I done," I whispered anxiously.

"haha," Seiya started to laugh, "aw, baby you make me laugh, never stop being you,"

He turned his head to look at me and then kissed my forehead.

"Don't you remember, Andrew just barged in after Lita kicked him out of the guest room, and he couldn't drive home,"

"um, no I don't remember!" I hit Andrew's head. "You couldn't have slept on the floor!"

"Hey, it's not like there isn't enough room on this bed. Jeez we could fit like two more people!" he mumbled into his pillow.

I got up and went to the kitchen. I definitely needed some aspirin.

I passed the guest room and saw Lita entangled with the green comforter. Meanwhile Rei and Chad were awkwardly positioned on top of each other in another room. Amy was sleeping on the couch while Mina was nowhere to be found.

I really did not care that I was only in my damp black bra and underwear until I heard a dry, "What the hell?"

I turned around and saw Darien in a casual shirt and jeans looking shaken at the appearance of the house. Or maybe the fact that I was almost naked once again in front of him. I hadn't seen him in about two weeks since my little fiasco. And when I almost accused him of being in love with me and not doing anything about him.

"What are you doing here?" I hissed!

"What the hell are you doing not wearing clothes and ruining your mother's house!"

Rage infuriated me. What was he doing here! How dare he always come and intrude on me. It was like he was doing it on purpose. Just when I figure out that I don't need him or even really want him, he just shows up.

"The house isn't ruined, we just threw some things around by accident," I retorted, "Don't worry Isla is coming back tomorrow, she'll clean everything up"

"WE? Who else is here?"

"Wait, why aren't you in Italy with my mother?"

His face grew solemn, "I didn't go, I couldn't". He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked away.

He couldn't? What the hell was THAT about?

"Hey babe, what's going on?" I could hear Seiya shout from the bedroom.

I didn't respond. Suddenly, Darien's face went white.

"You are still with Seiya?" He asked with no emotion in his voice.

"Yes," I stated.

"Dude, Serena! Andrew is like throwing up in your tub!" Seiya called in a panic.

"Wait what?" I asked.

Now Darien's beautiful eyes were covered with the furrows of his brows and bangs from his hair.

"Andrew is here too?" once again with no emotion, "I told you to stay away from him,"

I was disgusted. As I brushed passed him I could see that his hand try to reach out to me, but he suddenly stopped himself. After last time, he probably thought he better not touch me. And he was right because at this moment I had not a care in the world for him. Who was he to tell me who to stay away from.

I went upstairs to help Andrew out. At the same time Mina came into the house still looking like a goddess in the clothes she wore the night before. More importantly, though, she came with bagels and coffee.

As she entered the kitchen, she almost dropped everything.

"Darien?" She said.

He turned to look at her.

"Um, hi!" she smiled uneasily, "I'm Mina, Serena's friend. Um, I'm just bringing us some breakfast, do you want anything? Coffee?"

Even Darien couldn't refuse a cup of coffee from her charming self.

"So did Serena invite you over, too? I kinda passed out early last night," She mentally hit herself in the head.

"No, I was just checking up on her, her mother is coming home soon. I told her I would look after her,"

Mina mentally rolled her eyes. She could so tell that he was yearning for Serena as much as she was for him. He really needed to just stay away. He was trouble, Mina could feel it.

"Oh, thank god, FOOD!" Chad exclaimed as he walked in without a shirt on, showing off his six pack of course, and grabbed a bagel, "oh, hey man, I'm Chad," he extended a hand out to Darien.

Darien shook it.

"Did Serena invite you over last night too? Last night was so much fun wasn't it!"

"Oh, no, Chad, you are mistaken, this is Serena's MOTHER'S boyfriend," Mina answered for Darien.

"Ah," Chad said. "Well, hey, I remember I was into Cougars for a while. I mean she isn't that old I mean not that your that young either, but um…yeah cool man," his face was completely red.

"Chad, shut up," Rei stated as she walked in, and grabbed a cup of coffee. She analyzed Darien, and thought 'wow, Serena's mother DOES have taste.'

Ami and Lita staggered into the kitchen as well, and introduced themselves to Darien. It was definitely getting awkward. They were all hoping that Darien would just leave. He definitely was not giving off a happy vibe.

"Man. I need some Tylenol to kill that headache LITA gave me," Andrew hollered as he walked down the stairs, looking handsomely disheveled.

He stopped dead in his tracks as he spotted Darien.

"Hey, man," he offered to Darien, "I didn't know you were here. Serena could have given me a heads up"

"Why so you could sneak out the window," Darien retorted.

"Something like that," he smiled sheepishly.

I came downstairs with clothes on and faced the music with Seiya right behind me.

"So, what do we owe this honor, Darien?" I asked him.

He said nothing.

"Hey, Serena I had a lot of fun, call me later," Mina said as she started walking to the door. I looked at her with pleading eyes not to leave.

I could hear Amy asking for a ride from Mina, and she accepted willingly. Rei and Chad said basically the same thing and they soon headed out, after looking for their things. Lita then said goodbye and grabbed a bagel and ignored Andrew's plea to call him.

As Rei was about to go out the door, she shouted, "Andrew, you better let me see those pictures of me and Serena!"

I winced.

"Fabulous, now there is probably some porno pictures" Darien mumbled into his cub of coffee.

"Hey, I resent that. You have seen the work I have done, and these pictures are going to be amazing,"

"Look, why are you here, Andrew?" Darien snapped, "What are you doing hanging out with 17 year olds!"

"I'm twenty, Darien, and only Serena is seventeen. So the question is why are you always lurking around her?"

"What the hell is that suppose to insinuate?"

I had a dejavu moment. I looked at Andrew who was so pissed off, and then I looked at Seiya who was just staring out the window.

"Nothing, Darien, just nothing," he said, "You know, ever since you have been with Serena's mother, you have just changed. You are just so…god I don't even know how to describe it."

"You have no idea what you are talking about and it is no concern of yours!"

"Look, I'm out of here. Thank you Serena, Seiya, for a lovely night, I'm so sorry that everything had to be ruined once again with him."

Andrew left in a blur. It was now just Seiya, Darien, and I. No one was saying anything. I didn't know what to say.

"The house will be cleaned up tomorrow, Darien." I said, "I would appreciate it if you would not tell my mother about any of this,"

He looked at me with sadden eyes, "Yeah, okay,".

"Look, I need to talk to you," he said, "but alone."

I looked at Seiya, who finally turned around to look at us. I wanted to know what Darien had to say, but at the same time, what would be the point. This whole merry-go-round of not saying anything was getting really exhausting. There would not be a good ending, I knew this. It was like he kept twisting my wrists.

"I don't want to talk," I said, looking at the floor, "at least not, now" I whispered, not sure if he could hear me.

"Okay, then," he said, and regained himself, "I'm sorry for intruding,"

He looked at me and for a brief moment I wanted to go with him. Have him take me anywhere and make love to me, but then I realized I didn't know him at all. I was only attracted to him because of who I imagined him to be. What I did know was that he was as broken as me, and if I really did enter his life, I would destroy him.

"I'm sorry." he said one last time and left.


The rest of the day, I laid in bed intertwined with Seiya, watching old movies and eating Chinese food. Rain started to trickle slowly from the sky and flowed down the windows. Suddenly, I felt cold and tried to snuggle even closer to Seiya. I was completely happy, but at the same time, my mind kept wandering off to the image of Darien, leaving with his hands in his pockets and his head hung low. I wanted to cry but then at the same time something my shrink said entered my head. Is it really worth it? For a guy you barely know, who will change your whole world, more towards the worse than the better?

It wasn't. It just wasn't.

"You okay," Seiya said, as he kissed my shoulder.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I answered.

"Because you are in love with Darien Shields"


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