Title: Opposite Attraction --Chapter 1 Author: Blue Ice E-mail: Blue_IceSM@hotmail.com Rated: G Hi everyone!!!! A big THANK YOU to all those wonderful people who e-mailed me and gave me such encouraging compliments. I really appreciate it. Ok, I'm starting a brand new story now. This is another romance for those of you who are Serena/Darien fans. They are my favorite couple too. I haven't really any plots for this fanfic right now, so I'll just make it up as I write. I hope it'll turn out good. I have to especially thank Princess Makoto and Rini Shields for writing me. I was truly touched by their encouraging messages about Something Unexpected and Fire From Within. And they were the best I've ever received from anyone. So here is a big THANK YOU SO MUCH! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! to you guys if you're reading this. Well I'm stopping here. Don't forget to e-mail me. (Sailor Moon does not belong to me...and so on) Oh ya one more thing. Rei never had any feelings for Darien. They're just friends in this story. ^-^ "Oh no. I'm dead." Serena sat in her seat looking at her English test paper. "30%?? There must have been a mistake. After studying for 2 hours last night. It was totally not worth it." she sighed miserably. Looking past a couple of classmates, she saw Ami shaking her head and checking her answers with a book. "Hey Ami. You look a little pale. Is something wrong?" Ami nodded her head. "It's terrible. How can I face my mom." she said nervously. "Oh I know what you mean. I got a 30%. Mom's going to flip. What did you get?" Serena asked as she stuffed her books into her backpack. "94." Ami replied with a worried tone. "94??!!!" Serena screamed and dropped all her books. "What are you worrying about?" she asked in disbelieve. "I wish I had good grades like that. I'm a failure at everything." Serena sighed and picked up her backpack. "A 94 is a great score. I would do anything to get one. Heck, I would do anything just to get a better grade than 30." "Perhaps you need extra help outside of school. It's hard for Ms. Haruna to work one on one with her students." Ami suggested. "Are you kidding? I don't want another tutor as long as I live." ------------------------- "Serena you're getting a tutor starting next week." "No! oh please mom. I'll try harder. I'll have Ami give me study sessions on weekends. I'll cut my arcade time shorter! I just don't want a tutor!" Serena wined and begged her mom for mercy on her knees. "We just want you to do better in school dear." Ken said while reading through Serena's progress report. "This is the third time in a month that we've received a letter from Ms. Haruna that your grades have not improved." Irene shook her head. "There's nothing else we can do except to do the right thing. You won't regret it later on." Ken said and took out a card. "Now I want you to go to the university starting on next Monday after school. They have excellent study sessions there. And it's one on one. That's exactly what you need. Just give it a try." he handed Serena the card. "But dad..." "No buts, Serena. You don't have a choice." "Oh alright." Serena gave up and trudged upstairs. "My life is over." she collapsed on her bed and buried her head under the pillow. Taking out her test, Serena angrily threw it outside her window. "Now I can't go see Andrew after school anymore, and I can't play video games at the arcade, and I can't hang out with my friend's..." "Serena! Dinner's ready!" Irene hollered from the kitchen. Putting on her sad face, Serena walked solemnly downstairs. ---------------- "Serena, Serena wait up!" Mina hollered as she caught up with Serena. "We're all meeting after school today at Lita's. You coming?" she asked breathlessly. "I can't. I have to go to tutorials from now on to improve my grades. Mom says I have to at least bring my grades up to a B." Serena said and leaned against a tree."Tutorials? Well I guess it's good for you huh?" Mina smiled and patted Serena in the back. "Maybe you'll get a really cute college guy as your tutor." they both giggled. "What did you bring for lunch?" Serena asked as she and Mina sat under a big oak tree for lunch. "Curry." Mina answered and took out her chopsticks. "Oh can I have some?" Serena begged. "Why do you eat so much? Your lunch box is full of food. And I'm too hungry to share today." Mina said as she ate. "Oh alright." The rest of the afternoon was a drag for Serena. Not only did she fail a math test, but received detention for falling asleep during chemistry. Finally the bell ringed signaling the end of the day. Serena packed her stuff slowly, taking her time getting to detention. "Serena. Come here. I want to talk to you." Ms. Haruna said while grading some papers. "I'm going to excuse you from detention today because I have to go somewhere very important." She says as she takes out her compact and applied some lipstick. "You better make sure you pay attention tomorrow or you'll receive double detention. Understand?" "Yes Ms. H." Serena's mood suddenly brightened up. 'Yes!! No detention!' "Hey Serena, weren't you supposed to be in detention today?" Lita asked as they met up in front of the school. "Nope. Looks like Ms. H. has a date tonight. She let me off easy." Serena replied and stretched her arms lazily. "Now. I'm off to the arcade." she exclaims happily. "Ah, not so fast Serena. Don't you have tutorials this afternoon?" Mina asked and grinned. "Oh Mina! Why did you have to remind me?" Serena slumped her shoulders. "Hey Meatball Head!!" Rei came running down the sidewalk. "You're off school pretty early today. No detention like usual?" Rei laughed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "No for your information. I'm not in trouble today. I'm sorry, but I must get going." Serena said as she turned around toward the direction of Juuban University. "Going to tutorials is even better than hearing Rei complain about everything I do." Serena murmured and she walked dreadfully down the street. "Um excuse me? Is this where the tutorial sessions are?" Serena asked as she put her backpack down on the floor in front of the reception desk. "Why yes. Do you have your card?" an older lady asked and reached for the scanner. "Yes. Here is this it?" "It sure is. Just let me get all the information filled out." she explains as she quickly types something on the computer. "Ok you're ready. I have signed you to a specific tutor according to your needs Ms. Tsukino. This is your identification card. Just take the elevator to the fifth floor and turn to the hallway on your right. Your room is 509. I don't think you'll have any problems finding it. If you do. There'll be secretaries there to direct you." she finished and smiled friendly. "Oh thank you." Serena said politely as she stored in the information. Waving one last time, she walked to the elevator. "I really hope I get a cute college guy." Serena giggled. "Maybe he'll ask me out. Wouldn't that be great." she said to herself dreamily. Straightening up her school uniform a little to look more presentable, Serena knocked on the door gently. A second or so later, someone from the other side opened the door. What greeted Serena was totally unexpected. "Darien??" she gasped in alarm. "Hey Meatball Head. Fancy meeting you here!" he smirked and let her in. All the while, Serena was filled with rage. How can he be her tutor? It's bad enough that he teases her every time they meet, now he'll find out just exactly how stupid she really is. "I think I've got the wrong room. I'll just leave now." she said quickly and turned the door knob. "Wait a minute. Let me see your card." he said and walked towards her. "Oh alright. Here." she handed him the card hesitantly. "You have the right room, Serena. Can't you even read numbers." Ouch, that really hurt Serena's feelings. Couldn't he tell that she didn't want to be with him, especially now? "Ok if we're going to be seeing each other everyday now, why don't we at least try to get along." Darien sat down and took out some paper and a pencil. "Now what is it that you need help on? Everything probably." he mumbled the last part. But Serena heard it loud and clear. "You know what Darien? I don't need a tutor who's going to be making fun of me. I came here to get help, not cruel remarks from a cold hearted conceited jerk like you!" she looked down at her lap and felt useless all of a sudden. Nobody would ever give her break. Darien stared at Serena's profile. She wasn't really happy at all like her usual self. Maybe he did go a little too far. Sighing a little, Darien spoke quietly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it ok? Lets just get started. I'm sure you don't want to stay long." Serena lifted her head and looked at Darien skeptically. "Fine." she said and took out her books. "I don't understand what you're saying!" Serena sighed exasperatedly. "Chemistry is too hard. I hate school." she screamed out her frustration. By now Darien was a little impatient too. They had been going over her homework for the last 45 minutes, and haven't even finished 1/4 of it yet. "Ok look here Serena. Don't think about other things. Just concentrate on the problem. They gave you an example. Lets go over it one more time. The mass number of the element is 45. If the atomic number and the number of the protons are exactly the same, which is 20. What is the neutron number?" Serena bit her bottom lip in deep concentration. "I don't know. I just don't know." she leaned back on her chair and sighed. "What is 45 minus 20?" Darien asked. "25, that's easy, but what does that have to do with the neutron number?" Darien groaned. "That is the neutron number. Gees a fifth grader can do this let along a freshman." he bit out sarcastically. "Why are you here giving me lessons if you really didn't want to?" Serena screamed back angry at his nasty remarks. That was a good question, and honestly Darien didn't know why he was still here. He should have left a long time ago. "I have to. That's what I'm getting paid for." he said and checks over her math homework. "Lets just change the subject for now and work on something else." Darien suggested and mentally rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you need help with this?" he asked. "What if I do. I'm not smart like you if you haven't noticed yet. And if I were I wouldn't be here even if my life depended on it." she said and puts her head in her hands. "Ya I want to be stuck here to with a brainless Meatball Head too!" he barked back sarcastically and walked to the window. "Why are you being so mean?" she asked more to herself. Standing up sighing, Serena begin shoving her books into her backpack. "Sometimes getting good grades isn't worth it." she sniffles a little and walks to the door. "Maybe I'm just hopeless no matter what." she turned the door knob angrily. Darien was starting to feel bad himself. He shouldn't have been so mean to her. She came here looking for help and he gave none. "Wait. Don't go Serena..... I'm sorry." Serena looked back over her shoulder. "It's not your fault Darien. I'm just stupid. I can't handle anything. I can't do anything right..." Serena quickly shut up before she was going to cry. "Don't expect me to be back tomorrow." she sobs quietly and ran out the door. "What?" Darien stared at the closed door in confusion. What exactly was wrong with her? She's usually happy all the time. Even after a fight with him, she still recovers quickly. Darien sighed in frustration. "Meatball head." he rolled the nickname in his mouth a couple of times. "It suits her." Packing up his own things, he decided to leave since it was no use waiting for Serena. She wasn't going to come back. Serena had seemed genuinely upset and she was even putting herself down. Something wasn't right here. Darien shrugged his shoulders. He had more important things to worry about than an upset Meatball head. "Serena. You're home early." Ken said as she barged into the house. "How was tutorials? Did you get any homework done?" Serena didn't even bother to answer and stumped upstairs. "Good grief. I better go talk to her." Irene sighed and put down her spatula. Serena threw her things angrily around her room as she quietly sobbed by her window. "Why can't anyone just give me a break." she cried. "Serena? Can I come in?" a soft voice asked from outside her closed door. Serena stood up and let her mom in. "What's wrong sweetheart? Did something happen at school?" she asked as she gently scratched Serena's back. "I had this horrible tutor. He was so mean to me. Mom don't make me go back. I don't want to face him. All he does is make fun of my pathetic grades." Serena told her mom everything as she sobbed. "Serena, I'm sure he was as frustrated as you were. Why don't you give him another chance?" Serena looked up to her mother's kind face. "I don't really want to. We can't even stand next to each other with fighting. He's always the one who wins." Irene shook her head. "It's not about who wins in an argument. It's how you solve it. If you show some respect towards him, I'm almost positive that he'll do the same." "Do you really think so?" Serena asked as she wiped her eyes with a tissue. "Count on it." Serena smiled for the first time since this morning. "I guess I could go back tomorrow and try." Serena hugged her mom tightly. "Thanks mom." Irene smiled. "Come on. Help me set the table." The next day during lunch.... "Darien? He was your tutor?" Lita asked. "Well I don't see why you're upset." "Ya he's a totally hot guy." Mina giggled. "What did you guys talk about instead of homework?" Serena sighed. "Nothing. We didn't even get finished with the tutorial. We got mad at each other and I left." the girls looked blank. "Why?" Mina asked and sipped her drink. "Well for starters. He was completely rude, obnoxious, conceited. He just wouldn't stop making fun of me. I didn't want to stay." Serena finished and stuffed a piece of sushi into her mouth. "Mom says I have to go back today." she sighed and leaned back against the tree. "Ya you should give him a chance. Who knows, maybe he'll turn out to be the man of your dreams." Mina giggled. "Nah..." they all laughed. "Serena?! Serena?! Oh there you are!" Melvin exclaimed. "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!" the girls screamed and ran away leaving a dusty Melvin standing under the tree with pouting lips. Serena managed to stay awake during chemistry and didn't get detention. "Ok class prepare for the test on Thursday." Ms. H. finished just as the bell ringed. "Class dismissed." she says and sits back down to grade papers. "We're all meeting at Rei's temple in half an hour. She asked us to help her with all the charms she's selling on Saturday. We get to wear one of those kimonos. It's going to be so awesome." Mina squealed happily. "Ya it's going to be a big hit. I heard from Rei that people had already called in asking for them. I hope they make enough money for temple expenses." Ami smiled. "Well I gotta go to tutorials. Darien's probably waiting for me. I just hope he doesn't act like a jerk again." Serena sighed and picked up her backpack. "See ya guys later." she waved and left the classroom. "I feel sorry for her to have to put up with Darien, although he's a total hottie." Mina giggled as the girls walked out into the hot summer day. "Ok Serena. Just act natural. Give him a second chance. God this is so hard." Serena sighed as she stood in front of room 509. Just when she was about to knock, the door opened. "uh...hi." Serena said quietly and looked down at her shoes. "Hi...I um....I thought you weren't coming back?" Darien asked and ran a hand through his ebony hair. "I had to....and I'm also sorry that I ran out yesterday." she walked in and sat down. "I guess you failed another test like always." Darien smirked. He just couldn't stop making Serena miserable. Serena rolled her eyes. "How come every single word that comes out of your mouth has to be cruel?" Darien chuckled. "Because everything I say is true." he replied simply and leaned back on his chair. "I hate you." Serena mumbled under her breath. Sighing loudly, Serena took out her homework. "Can we just get on with it. I want to get out of here as soon as possible." "My thoughts exactly." Serena glared daggers at Darien. She tried to be respectful and nice, but it just doesn't work. Pushing down the anger that was starting to rise, Serena looked across the table at him. "Don't tell me you still don't understand this?" Darien asked impatiently. "If I did would I be here?" she retorted and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Ok. now what is it that you don't understand?" "Well, that part." she pointed to a part of an inequality. "There's really nothing to it. You have to make sure that both sides equal." Darien started explaining. After 20 minutes or so...."What do you mean it's wrong? I checked over it two times." Serena yelled angrily. "Why don't you plug in the numbers and see which one of us is right." Darien bit back. Serena took the calculator. "Fine, give it to me." she took her paper and punched in some numbers. Putting down her pen, Serena looked up to Darien a little embarrassed. "Oops. I um...forgot the A, sorry." Serena lowered into the seat. Darien sighed and stood up to look out the window. Serena caught his annoyed gaze. "I said I was sorry. You don't have to be that grouchy about it." Serena stood up and walked around the table. "Maybe if you'd work harder and try to use your brain, you wouldn't have so much trouble, and then you wouldn't have to annoy me so much with something a six year old could do." Darien yelled with frustration. There was just no way he can keep this up. "Well fine, see if I come back again." Serena slammed the door behind her. Seconds later she came back....."I'm just getting my books." Darien laughed. "You can't even make a good exit. Figures Meatball head. Don't trip down the stairs." he smirked as Serena's face turned red in anger. "I'll get you back Darien. You won't even know what hit you." "Haven't you already done that with your test, a shoe..." before he finished the list, Serena had stormed out angrily. "What a egotistic jerk!" Serena hissed furiously as she took the elevator down to the lobby. "I'm never coming back again. This has got to be the most horrible day of my life." she turned the corner and bumped right into a lady. The files that were in her hands fell down to the floor as papers scattered everywhere. "Oh I'm sorry...here let me get it." Serena bent down to pick up the papers. "I'm really very sorry." Serena apologized and quickly exited the building. Serena walked down the busy streets of Tokyo until she came to her all time favorite place to be after school--the arcade. "I bet Andrew's working today." she thought happily and walked in. Andrew was helping a little boy with a video game. Serena sat down at a booth and waited for him to finish. "Hey Serena! What's up?" he asked friendly and sat down across from her. "Hi Andrew." she tried to put on a happy face. "Is something wrong?" he asked. Serena looked down for a moment. "This has been the worst day of my life." she started. "I went to the university thinking that I'll give Darien another chance. I had thought that if I were nice to him, he'd be nice to me. But no. He just shot his usual cold remarks at me one after another...and then.." "Wait a minute." Andrew stopped her suddenly. "Give Darien another chance? At the university? I'm not following you Serena. Better start from the beginning." Serena took a deep breath. "Well I got this really bad grade in English....." "....and then I just walked out." Serena told Andrew the whole story from when her father first got her a tutor up until now at the arcade. Andrew listened intently. "The man is insufferable. There's no way anyone can ever change him. I tried my best to show some respect and he never even seemed to care. What's with him?" Serena sighed as she put her head down on the table. Andrew gently touched her arm. "Darien's had a tough childhood ....maybe he just never opened up to anyone that's all. I'm sure if you keep on showing him that you care and try to tolerate him, he'll change the way he acts towards you." Andrew smiled. Serena raised her head and contemplated. "Well, I guess you're right. But if he does it again, I'm not going to forgive him." then Serena immediately brightened up. "Oh, I think I want a triple scoop hot fudge sundae." Andrew chuckled and stood up. "One Serena Special coming up." "So are you coming to Rei's temple on Saturday? We're going to sell charms. I think it's really going to be big." Serena wiped her mouth with a napkin as she finished up the sundae. "I think I have to. Lizzy wants to go pretty badly. I have no doubt she's going to drag me there too." he shrugged. "That's great then! We need some help anyway. Tons of people had already called Rei about them. We're probably going to be really busy with all the customers." Andrew nodded. "Ya that sounds fun. I'll try to make it." Serena smiled excitedly. "Ok then see you tomorrow." she waved and walked out of the arcade. Suddenly everything quiet down. "It sure is quiet when Serena's not around." Andrew chuckled and went back to his work. "Oh it's so nice out. What a waste spending a day like this with Darien." as if the name brings bad luck, Serena walked right into a light pole. "Can't you even walk right? Meatball Head?" a familiar voice snickered behind Serena. Whipping around agitatedly, Serena walked up to Darien. "Listen buddy. I'm not going to take this crap from you anymore." Darien grinned amusedly. "And don't you grin like that!" "Do you mind? I like to get going now if you'd step out of my way." Darien walked right past Serena and into the arcade. "Oh he makes so mad." turning around too quickly, Serena bumped into the light pole yet again. "Uhh, that hurt..." "Mom! Dad! I'm home." Serena hollered as she shut the door behind her. "I'm in here." Irene came out of the kitchen with flour all over her hands. "How was school honey?" Serena hung her head and plopped down on the couch. "It was fine until I saw Darien." Irene sighed deeply. "Did you two have another argument?" "ya. and this time I'm never going back." Irene chuckled. "You know people say that when they actually like each other. You just haven't realized it." Serena sat up suddenly. "What?? Me like Darien. Ha! Not in a million years." she ran up the stairs and into her room. "Me....and... .and Darien...that conceited, self absorbed, arrogant man....Me?" Serena threw her arms in the air. "Uh.." and collapsed onto her bunny covered bed. Hello! Here's chapter one. I hope you liked it so far. Don't forget to e-mail me!! Sayonara!