Lena was dreading as she walking over towards her school. Yesterday was just fabulous--she rolled her eyes--and what could today bring? More hateful looks from Joey and a jealous insane soon to be ex-best friend.
When she was close to the school building, she heard a whistle and her head snapped to the right. She looked around until she came to in sight to a tree. She was surprised to see Darien hiding half his body behind it.
She looked at the front entrance to see if any teachers saw him, but no one did. She turned and jogged over to him. She couldn't help but smile seeing him, "What are you doing here?", she asked. "You can't be on school grounds until tomorrow.".
He put his arms around her, "I thought I'll come save you and we can spend the day together. It got so boring being alone at the apartment.".
"You mean, skip school?", she questioned.
He nodded, "Yeah.".
She chuckled and patted his chest, "Real funny, Darien.".
"I'm serious.", he said. "Come on, Sunshine, do something bad for once.".
"Like skip school? Do you know how much trouble I'll get in if they call my parents?", she asked. "I have never skipped school and I don't plan to do that now.".
"Prude.", he said to her surprise.
She stared at him with her eyes widen, "Excuse me?".
He shrugged, "Nothing, just. . .prude.".
"I'm no prude!", she said.
He chuckled, "Lena, being with me comes with a cost. Live dangerously, skipping one day of school is not going to kill you.".
"Could get me grounded.", she said.
"For how long? A week? Being the girl and the baby, I'm sure it has it advantages.", he said. "You're a goodie to shoes, they probably wont even call in, believing your actually sick. I'll even make you an excuse, playing as your dad. Believe me, I'm a good plagiarism.".
"Oh really?", she questioned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Like how?".
"Some things you don't need to know.", he said. "Now come on, lets go.".
"I can't!", she said.
"Why not?", he asked. "Just spend the day with me, lets destroy this town, get yourself a tattoo, and do things you never thought yourself would do.".
She chuckled and lowered her head, taking her eyes on his adorable face, "I don't know, Darien...".
"I guarantee you'll have a fun day.", he said, lowering his head and kissed her right cheek, his mouth leading to her mouth.
She blushed hard, "Okay, okay!", she said, pushing him back. "But I have to be back by three, I still need to make it to soccer practice.".
"Deal.", he said, chuckling.
She shook her head while chuckling, "Gosh, Darien Aric Call, your trouble.".
He stepped away from the tree and took her hand, "And you just realized that?", he questioned, pulling her away from school. "Come on, I'm teaching your how to live. So, what is there to do this in town? If this was the city, it would be different, but I still don't know much about it here.".
"Well,", she said, pressing her lips together and thought. "We could go get something to eat and go by the pond. Mostly everyone goes there just to hang out.".
"I thought more like going to Jepsen.", he said.
Her eyes widen, "That city? That's a good forty minutes away.", she said.
"We can catch a bus.", he said. "Go there, have fun, and leave by two. You'll be back for soccer practice.".
"I don't know, Darien.", she said. "I thought we'll be here, in Nash.".
"Which makes it all more fun.", he said.
~_~_~
Darien and Lena walked into a candy shop and Darien nose scrunched up at the prices for a pound of candy. He use to having a corner stores back in the cities he lived in before. But he guesses since this is a family business, they are going to charge five dollars for a pound of taffy.
When they walked more near the back, Darien looked around to see if they had any cameras. Nothing but one of those large mirrors hanging on one corner of the walls. They wouldn't be able to see them.
He reached out and took a pack of gum, placing in it his pocket.
Lena grabbed his hand, "What are you doing?", she whispered, but hissed.
"Take something, it's easy.", he said. "The old man isn't even watching. Go ahead.".
"No.", she said. "Stealing wrong, so put it back!".
"No, what's wrong is paying two fifty for a pack of watermelon gum which I could get for a dollar at a 7 11.", he said.
"Then wait until we find one.", she said. "Put it back, Darien.".
"Lena, take something. Your not going to hell for taking a candy bar.", he said.
"I know that, but it's wrong.", she said. "I did not skip school just to steal things.".
"I promise, if you just take one thing, you wont have to again. I just want to show you what it's like to live like me.", he said.
"So you steal from store?', she asked.
"I did when I was younger, yeah. I was a poor kid living in the ghetto, I had to eat something instead of my aunts awful food.", he said. "I don't steal much anymore, but I refuse to pay that much for gum. Just a candy bar, it's not going to hurt you.".
"Darien, I don't know.", she said, a concern on her face. "Just once and we both,", she said, pointing a finger at him, "wont ever do it again or I will drop kick your ass.".
He chuckled at her, "Deal.".
She bit her lip and looked to her left, seeing if the old man was paying attention. He wasn't, he was two busy reading the book in his hand. Darien watched Lena shaky hand reach out and quickly grab the candy bar, sneaking it into her pocket.
"Hey, what are you doing?", the old man called.
"Crap.", Darien said as Lena gasped. He grabbed her hand and they ran out of the store as the old man ran from behind the counter and followed them out of the store. Darien lead them both down the street and when he peeked around the building a little, he saw the old man gave up.
They both were chuckling, "I never seen a man his age run so fast.", Lena said. "And just for a candy bar.".
"See, wasn't that exciting?", he asked.
"It was wrong.", she said. "But yeah, it was exciting. But we're not doing it again.".
~_~_~
"Hey, stop that!", Lena said to Darien when he stole another piece of her chocolate chip pancakes.
"I should have gotten that instead of French toast.", he said as he chewed on the pancakes. He nodded in approval, "That's good, dinner food is so good. I remember the dinner was my favorite place as a childhood. Everything was homemade.".
"Really?', Lena questioned. "Tell me more about your childhood. Where was your number one favorite and least favorite place to be.".
He hesitated, twirling the fork around, "My most favorite was this park around the corner, it wasn't the best, but to me, it was a jungle. My mom. . .she would always play with me even. My least--my own home.".
Lena frowned when Darien eyes looked sad and he didn't look at her, just down at the table, in his own thoughts. She reached out and put her hand on top of his. He looked up at her, as if he just remember she was there, "It's okay, Darien, your alright now. Why don't you tell me about her, she sounds like a real amazing women.".
"She was.", he said. "The only one who ever made me feel like I actually was loved, that someone cared about me.".
Lena moved her hand in his, "I care about you, Darien. A lot.".
"You wouldn't if you knew that whole story.", he said. "My childhood, it wasn't the best, my life was some bad movie.".
"I know what a bad family like, Darien.", she said. "My brother, his girlfriend came from a bad family to. Her father beat her and her mother, she was drunk. All she had that loved her was her little brother.".
He didn't look at her, "I wasn't just beat.", he said, his hand gripping hers.
She looked at him confused, "What do you mean?".
He took his hand out of hers, "Nothing, nothing. Lets just get back to eating.", he said.
"But Darien-"
His head shot up to look at her, "It's nothing, Lena. Leave it alone.".
She looked at him in shock, but nodded. She was pushing him to far, she didn't want to give him a reason not to trust her. She was working so good at it. But she wanted badly to know what he meant by he just wasn't beaten.
The bell to the dinner ringed and Lena turned her head to see three guys walk in. They caught her watching and they looked like jerks. College guys. She turned her head back around to continue eating.
When they walked passed with a waitress, two of them looked back at her and winked. Her face scrunched up and she rolled her eyes. She remember one time a guy did that to her, her brother Skyler went crazy.
Darien was to much in his own thoughts right now to even notice.
"Are you alright?", Lena asked.
"I'm fine.", Darien said grumpily.
"I'm sorry if I made you upset.", she said.
He put his fork down and looked up at her, "Lena, you don't need to know everything about me. I like to keep things in the past, it's who I am. I didn't talk about it before to my therapist and I wont now.".
"Well I'm not your therapist.", she said. "I'm your girlfriend.".
"Yes, but that doesn't mean you need to know everything. All of it's none of your business.".
She scuffed, "Well I sure think it does. In a relationship, we should be able to tell each other everything and-"
Someone leaned on her their table and Lena looked up confused to see one of the college guys, "Is there a problem?", he asked, looking at Darien.
"No.", she said. "You can go-"
"Good.", he said. "So how old are you?", he asked Lena. "Seventeen? Eighteen? You from around here? I'm sure I would have remember a pretty face like yours.".
"We were talking.", Darien said, his voice hard, but he didn't look up at the guy, but Lena saw how mad Darien suddenly was.
"I'm fifteen, so sorry.'', Lena said.
Darien finally looked up, "Yeah, she's jailbait to you pricks. Now go away.".
He chuckled, "Oh, bad boy I see. I'm not scared of some high scholar.".
"I really suggest you get out of my face, I'm already in a bad mood.", Darien said. "I would like to come back here some day, so get away from me.".
"Or what?", the college guy teased, flicking Darien jacket collar.
Lena saw the blaze in Darien eyes, so she got up so Darien wouldn't snap and punch the guy, landing him in the hospital. "Look, I really think you should--Darien!", she cried out in shock when Darien quickly got up and punched the guy in the face.
"I told you I was in a bad mood.", Darien said.
The two friends of the guy Darien punched got up, "You think you could get away with that?", one of them said.
"Hey, take it outside!", the owner said. "And away from my dinner.", he added.
"I've taken guys bigger then you down.", Darien said.
"Your some cocky son of a bitch.", the other said.
The guy Darien punched got up, his nose bloody, "Look asshole, I was just playing.".
"I'm the wrong guy to be playing with.", Darien said.
"Okay!", Lena said, grabbing her wallet and put twenty five dollars on the table. She wrapped her arms around Darien and pulled him away from the guys. "Time to go!", she said she pulled Darien out of the dinner and when they were out, he snatched his arm out of her grip and walked ahead of her. "What was that, Darien?", she asked. "You can't just punch people because you feel like it.".
"He was taunting me.", he said. "And flirting with you.".
"No he wasn't.", she said. "Darien, please. Just. . .just stop being an jerk!", she yelled, stopping in her place. She was tired of his moody self. It was getting boring.
He stopped also and turned around to face her, "I don't need someone else to just walk in and out my life. This is why I didn't want to get close to you, Lena. I'm not who you want me to be, I push people away for a reason. Your just going to end up leaving soon.".
"No I'm not.", she said. "Darien, your more important to me then you think.".
"Explain it to me, then. Tell me all about how your going to be with me forever and deal with me. I'll admit it, I'm a hand full to take care of, which is why it's a good thing to leave me alone.".
When he started to turn away from her, she freaked and grabbed his arm, wrapping her arms around it again and held on to him, "I'm sorry, please don't leave me. I promise, Darien, I'm not going to leave you. You important to me, it's just complicated to tell you right now.", she said, wrapping her arms around him his waist to hold onto him. "Let's just forget about what just happened, I don't want to fight.".
"I don't think I'm right for you, Lena.", he said.
"Your just afraid that this might be the right thing for you.", she said, looking up at him. "I can see how much I make you happy. I smile every time I see you, don't you see that? Stop being so insecure about yourself, you do deserve to be happy.".
He was quiet for a minute, "I haven't been happy in such a long time. Okay, I'll try to be more...calmer.".
"I don't want you to change, Darien. Just, stop getting so angry quickly and fighting. I want you to stay who you are, but I don't like how angry you get.", she told him.
"I don't want to hurt you-"
"You wont.".
"No, not like that.", he said. "What if--what if I get to angry and hurt you. Like, hit you? I don't want to be like my father.".
"Just keep taking those pills.", she said. "You said they keep you calm, just take them. Take your anger out on something else.".
"Like?", he questioned.
"I don't know, we'll figure something out though.", she said. "Maybe, maybe you just need a family. You already know my father loves you. He was a pretty angry one when he was teenager.".
"Meeting your family isn't going to help me.", he said.
"No, but maybe talking to someone will.", she said. "Mr. Beckett look interested in you, he cares about you.".
"That man our teacher, he doesn't care about us.", he said.
"Darien, he worries about, I can see it.", she said. "Talk him, I'm sure he knows how you feels. I can just feel it in my gut.".
He sighed, "Okay, if it'll make you happy, I'll talk to the man tomorrow at school.".
She smiled, "Good, I'm sure he'll be able to give you something to help with.", she said, leaning up and kissed him.