Hello everyone, it's me again! Back with the fourth installment of my story, I bet you all are very excited to read it, so without further hesitation, I present to you, 'The Bet- Chapter 4' Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon, but thanks for asking :) "So Andrew, are you doing anything tomorrow night?" Mina asked him in a sickly sweet voice, Andrew was almost as hot as Darien in her opinion. Andrew smiled and shook his head "I have to work, sorry Mina, maybe some other time?" "Sure Andrew whatever's good for you, is fine by me. I'm going to hold you to that though." The door chimed as it slid open to welcome another customer to the game center this fine morning. Darien walked in with a wave and a smile, "Mina have you talked to Serena yet today?" "As a matter of fact I have, I just left the library where she's still studying right at this very moment." She winked at him slyly and arched her eyebrows at him, "Why might I ask do you want to see her?" Darien felt the heat rise into his cheeks, and he stammered, "I just wanted to talk to her about yesterday, I take it she's feeling better then?" Mina nodded and went back to her chocolate milkshake sitting in front of her, "Yes she is, she called me this morning to set up a study session at the library, she wanted to stay later and study for the test we have due tomorrow for summer school." "I think she's still sick, Serena doesn't study." Andrew pointed out this obvious fact and Mina simply rolled her eyes, "She can get good grades I've seen it happen. She just needs to apply herself more to her schoolwork. Cut back on the distractions, if you know what I mean Darien." Darien sighed, "Must you be so obvious Mina?" "It comes with the package, so are you going to go and see her. She's really embarrassed right now about yesterday and it might be better if you talk to her first." Darien turned and started toward the door, "I'm going, I need to ask her about something too, now's as good a time as any, right?" he jogged out the door and took off toward the library. "He sure is hung up on her isn't he?" Mina asked Andrew softly, "Do you feel that way about anyone Andrew?" she looked at him innocently and Andrew grew immediately uncomfortable, "I have a few girls that I like, I admit that much." "But you won't tell me who? I'm a great matchmaker, I can set you up quick with anyone you want to go out with." Andrew chuckled softly, "I'm a pretty good matchmaker myself, who do you think set Serena and Darien up?" her eyes widened, "You must be joking, I've been trying for months to get those two together! How did you manage that?" "I made the bet- oh crap!" Andrew flew a hand up to his mouth, and Mina's face darkened, "Did you say something about a bet Andrew?" "A bet? Me say something about a bet I didn't say anything of the sort. Why would you think that?" he backed away slowly from the now seething girl, "Oh Andrew, I'm not stupid. You had better tell me everything right now!" Andrew shied away from the tiny girl, "Okay..." @~~~>>~~~~ Serena looked down at the words below in her the thick book she had been staring at for the last half an hour. Her eye flew in and out of focus and she knew her concentration was waning. She closed the book with a thud and picked it up. She walked over to the reference shelves and traced a pink tipped nail along the bindings of the books. She pushed the book back into it's rightful spot and noticed a pair of blue eyes staring back at her. "Serena..." a deep voice trailed off and Serena backed away not thinking. She slammed backwards into the bookcase behind her and fell to the floor with a thud. Darien rushed from the other aisle to her rescue, only to be brutally rebuffed. "Serena are you all right, I never meant for that to happen! I just wanted to get your attention for a minute." She rubbed her now throbbing back muscle; "Oh you got my attention all right. What are you doing here? Are you stalking me or something?" his blue eyes blinked and the comment registered, "No! I was here working on a report, and I saw and I needed to talk with you about yesterday at the arcade." Serena turned bright red at the mention on the embarrassing scene that had taken place yesterday, "What's there to talk about? It happened, it's done with, the past can't be changed. Let's just forget it happened and we can go back to fighting and hating each other." "I don't want to do that Serena, I never hated you, no one could hate you." His voice softened and he stood up and offered her a hand. She hesitated and then took it gratefully, "Thanks Darien." She dusted off her skirt and started to walk back to the table where her stuff was located, Darien followed slowly after her. She shoved her books into her backpack and slung it over her shoulder, "I didn't know you had summer school Serena?" "It's not really summer school, it's to boost up my reading grade a bit, classes only happen twice a week, it really doesn't matter. I'm just going to fail again next year anyway." She let out a deep sigh and stood there waiting for him to do something. "What?" she giggled softly, "Don't you want to get you stuff, I thought you were studying here? Are you taking extra classes or did you fail something?" He turned red, being caught up in his lie, "Actually Mina told me you were here, I'm not taking any classes this summer, I decided to chill for awhile, relax for once." He smiled and gently led her from the library and out into the sunshine of the day outside. "It's so beautiful out here today, isn't it." Serena turned her face to the sun letting the warm glow bathe her in natural light. Darien sighed and looked at her beautiful face, "You look beautiful today Serena, like an angel." She jerked her face down quickly and turned to look at him, "Thanks, I think..." she trailed off, "So you asked Mina where I was? Why did you care?" "I needed to talk to you, I already told you this." He said with a teasing grin on his handsome face. She rolled her eyes, "I know that, what else is there to say, yesterday was just a mistake, it happens to everyone." "Go out with me again. Please Serena let me make it up to you for the dinner that made you so sick." She looked at him again "You want to go out with me again? Why, it was a disaster last time!" He grabbed one of her soft hands, "I have tickets tomorrow night for the opera, please say you'll join me Serena, you're the only one I want to come with me." She smiled slightly at him, "Okay if it means that much to you, I'll go. I've never been to the opera before." He squeezed her hand tighter, "You'll love it, it's great and really romantic and I promise no snails." She left out a soft laugh "Well I can at least admit if I had to get sick on a date I'm glad it was with you Darien." He grabbed his heart and pretended to fall over, "Is the lady warming up to me? Did I actually hear what I think I just heard?" she hit him lightly, "Stop that! You're making a scene!" she glanced about nervously and Darien got a fiendish idea. He scooped her up and started running with her down the street, "Darien! What are you doing!" she clung to his shirt tightly and looked up and his grinning face. "Relax Serena, I won't drop you. Unlike someone, who shall remain nameless, I have coordination." She glared at him and then wrapped her arms around his neck. Her fingers teased the soft hair at the nap of his neck and sent shivers up his spine. He pulled her closer and continued running at top speed toward her house. @~~~>>~~~~ "What do you mean you told Mina about the bet?" Darien sat down hard on his living room sofa. "I'm sorry man, she beat me into submission!" Andrew shouted into Darien's ear. "Beat you? She's like six inches shorter than you and she still beat it out of you?" "Hey that girl can be scary when she's mad, you try to face her down. But she knows Darien and she seemed pretty intent on telling Serena. No one wants to see their friend hurt by a low life scum bag, no offense or anything." "But the bet's not even on anymore, I lost, I love Serena. Now she's going to hate me, this is a total nightmare Andrew, how could you tell?" Andrew sighed softly, "I'm really sorry man, but maybe if I go out with Mina, she won't tell Serena about anything, she's dying to go out with me." "You think every girl is dying to go out with you Andrew and you're always wrong! Why is this time any different?" "I'll make her go out with me, she'll have a great time and then your secret is safe." Darien stood back up and started pacing, "Yeah safe until she gets mad and wants something else, until the whole thing snowballs into a giant mess. Which might I remind you Andrew, you caused." "I will take care of it okay, you're in good hands with Andrew, I'll talk to you tomorrow." Andrew hung up quickly and Darien listened as the dial tone replaced his voice. He set the phone back into the cradle and trudged back to his bedroom. He was exhausted and his head hurt. Did ya like it? I hope so, I'm sorry this is so short, writer's block, that and it's about 10:30 at night while I'm typing this so any mistakes are not my fault. Once again a special thanks to: Clare-chan, always a great friend, and a source of inspiration to me and she likes my writing, another plus. Anyone who sent me the previous chapters of this story (That includes you Clare-chan, the intent was there I know) This story would be gone without everyone's help, this computer is new and already it corrupts a file, go figure! But it's back and so am I so stay tuned for the next chapter: Andrew and Mina's date, Darien and Serena's trip to the opera and the ever-important truth finally revealed? Maybe, I don't know what's going to happen, but it should be wild. See you then! Liz-chan AKA Althena AKA Squall no Megami ( I'm a goddess in two rights heehee)