The Lily and the Rose


**knock**knock**knock**  Derien opened his eyes groggily and
answered the door.  Outside stood a girl with long brown hair,
curled around her face.  She wore a sleeveless, T-shirt with dark
blue jeans.  "Hi, Derien.  Remember me?"  She smiled akwardly.  She
wore a pack down her shoulder.  He shook his head for a moment. 
"Anna?  Is that you?"  He asked in a surprised voice.  She nodded
excitedly and looked into his eyes, her light brown eyes glimmering.
 "I came to Tokyo and looked ya up."  She shrugged.  "Anna, what are
you doing here?  Last time I saw you was in America, in Highschool."
 Again she shrugged.  "I have a job here, Derien."  He reached
forward and hugged her.  She hugged back, in the friendly way.  He
released her and looked at his long-time childhood friend.  "Really?
 You’re not joking?"  Suspiciously.  Anna laughed.  "Nah.  I flew
over to Tokyo just to say ‘hi’ and now I’m going to fly home because
my life long dream of saying hi to Derien is complete and I can die
happy."  She said sarcastically.  He smiled.  His jokester friend
hadn’t change since he left America.  "I’ve missed you, Derri."  She
said, using his nick name.  "I missed you too.  So where are you
staying?"  He asked casually.  She raised a dangling key and pointed
down the opposite hall.  "The room down there and when I snuck a
peak at the room names, I saw your name."  He smiled and she pushed
him away.  "Stop that!  You look like a cat just about to jump on a
mouse."  She said in a mock-angry voice.  "Only to find that he had
been mistaken for a rat with sharp of claw and quick of tooth."  He
answered.  She slapped his arm harshly, knowing that she’d stung
him, but done no permanent damage.  "Ow!"  He complained.  "I’m no
rat, Derri.  I’m more like a cat, curious, mischievous, and lazy." 
He shook back the feeling to say she looked great.  "Anyway, I got
to drop off my stuff and go appoint to my job.  See ya’ later?"  She
asked.  He nodded and watched her go to her room.  
        He closed his door with a smile.  Anna, in Tokyo.  His inquisitive
friend had been his playmate since the third grade in America and
was with him up until he left for Tokyo.  "Great, I won’t be able to
keep anything from her."  A long time ago, in Junior High, he’d had
a minor crush on his best friend, but he’d forgotten about it when
he met Serena.  "Oh no.  What will Serena say when Anna meets her?" 
He said with worry.
*****************
        Damn, he’s still so cute, she thought to herself.  She unlocked her
door and dropped her bag on the floor, seeing her two other
suitcases already inside.  "Oh, Derri."  She sighed, looking back at
his closed door.  She closed her door and surveyed her room.  "How
can I ever tell you what I feel?"  She said to herself.  She
rummaged through her bag and took out her brush.  She combed her
waist length hair, never cutting ever since Derien had said that she
looked prettier with it long.  She looked at her tiny watch and
realized the time.  "Oh my gosh!  I’m late already."  She put on a
pair of black slacks and a sleeved purple shirt.  She grabbed her
key and purse and rushed out her door.  She jumped down her stairs
and continued stamping until she reached the street.  Continuing to
run she reached the junior high where she’d be a helping student
teacher before she finally reached a place as a teacher.  
        She ran in and went to the room she was appointed to.  "Hi, Ms.
Henley.  Sorry I’m late."  She gasped.  The brown haired woman
sighed and opened the door for her.  "You said my name wrong but
continue calling me that if you wish."  She turned and let her
follow her in.  "Class, this is Anna.  She’s a student teacher and
is going to help me.  She’s just flew in from....."  She looked at
the girl with strips of gold and black in the back of her hair. 
"Hmm?  Oh, I’m from California."  She answered after a moment of
confusion.  "Okay.  Sit down there and why don’t you start grading
the tests and tell me any worrisome grades."  Anna nodded and sat in t
he teacher’s chair.  She scanned over the first test and was
surprised it got a 100%.  One after the other, she went through the
papers until she got to one labeled ‘Serena’.  One after the other
she placed a red checkmark on silly answers.  A 45%!!  She was
mentally exasperated at the odd grade and wrote the name on a note
paper.  Walking to her mentor, she gave it to her and heard her sigh
and say, "not again."  She knew that this grade was not a surprising
one.  The end of class bell rang and the kids quickly stood up.  Ms.
Henley walked over to a girl in golden pigtails.  "Serena, I want
you to see me after school."  She said crossly.  Serena nodded and
put on a poutful face before running off to class.
        The day continued on somewhat like that, only no one else got a
grade nearly so low as Serena.  Soon the last bell rang and Anna
winced at the droning sound.  After about 5 minutes, the pig tailed
girl ran into class, gasping and tired from her quick run.  "Serena,
didn’t you say you studied this time?"  The teacher immediately
yelled.  The girl looked as if she would cry.  "I’m sorry, Ms.
Henley.  I’ll try better next time."  The girl said.  The teacher
sighed and walked off.  "I want you to apply yourself, Serena. 
Anna, could you tutor her for an hour maybe?"  She said looking at
her.  The girl shrugged.  "I sorta’ have a meeting tonight with my
old best friend from California tonight.  Maybe tomorrow?"  She said
in a pleading voice.  She really didn’t want to tutor a brat who got
45’s and seemed to whine about it.  “Fine.  You can both go."  Anna
grabbed her purse and moved outside the door and moved slowly out.  
        The girl walked sighfully beside her.  "I hate school."  The other
girl said to herself.  "Don’t worry about it.  It’s not as painful
as you think.  You make good friends and they last forever."  The
other girl nodded.   "So are there any cute guys here?"  She asked
hopefully, to the sighing girl.  The blue eyes twinkled.  "Yes.  My
boyfriend is majorly cute."  She swooned.  Anna brightened. 
"Explain, girl."  She said.  "Ooo.  He has blue eyes, black hair,
he’s 18 and....."  A dawning realization hit her.  "His name’s
Derien.  Is that who you’re dating?  Derien Chiba?"  She asked,
hoping to get a negative.  Serena looked at her oddly.  "Yes.  How
do you know him?"  She asked curiously.  "He’s my friend from
California, ding-dong.  I’ve known him since third grade."   She
argued, angered at the tone of the girl’s voice.  "Wha...?!"  She
whined.  Anna stared evilly and crossed her arms.  "Oh, go and do
your homework, Serena."  Before running off.  
*********************
        She stood outside her door.  Knocking about half a dozen times, she
stopped and waited.  Derian’s face peaked around the door.  "Oh, hi,
Ann....."  "And when were you going to tell me you were dating a 14
year old?"  She interupted angrily.  He winced.  "I was going to
tell you."  she crossed her arms and stared in a hurt glance at him.
 "But you didn’t.  I thought that we can and would tell each other
anything.  Besides, are you mad?  Dating a Junior High girl flunkee!
 Derri!  How could you?"  She stopped and looked at his face.  Even
after years of separation, she could read tell tale emotions. 
Anger, regret, embarressment.  Anger???!  "Never mind, Derri.  I’ll
talk to you later.  Oh, and by the way, expect a call from Serena. 
She sounds suspicious."  She said, walking into her room.  


trumfelt@sprynet.com