Simple Sweetness

Chapter 7

"You ready to talk about it yet?" Andrew questioned, having discretely once again manoeuvred over to Darien's immaculate table at Crown. To wash it for what seemed like the thousandth time that evening. Having completely been ignoring his customer's to continually harass his best friends, precious brooding time. Invading his favourite booth in the back corner, of the Arcades, once bustling dinning area. Still dressed in his yellow t-shirt and white shiny basketball shorts, with a white apron tied around his waist. The strange mix, from the front, made it look like he was wearing a dress. He looked like a total dork, and had already received several delightful comments about his so call sundress from other heckling patrons. If Darien would not have abandoned him on the street he would have had time to change into some jeans before work. But he wasn't upset over his so called friends, selfish, ass like behaviour...honestly he was quite used to it.

Darien could be the biggest jerk on the planet, but he was loyal and the most honourable person he knew so Andrew forgave a lot of his less admirable qualities.

He moved his rag lazily over the table, raising a questioning blonde eyebrow at Darien. Who had been staring out of the booth's large windows, watching the sunset with such a deep frown upon his face. He was obnoxiously bringing the respective mood in the whole establishment down. As if a storm cloud had gathered above his head, raining doom and despair upon him and anyone within a five mile radius.

That most people after the first few minutes of enduring his gloomy pressence, had sought to avoid him by at least several tables. Now he had successfully banished all patrons from the dinning area to the games just to get away from his increasingly dark aura. His tragic emotions were almost palatable, by the end of the first hour even laughter had died in the Arcade. Now everyone was just talking in hushed tones, avoiding eye contact with him. Darien had become the dreaded mood killer! A happiness cancer slowly draining all life and light out of everyone around him.

Darien never even raised his focus away from the window, becoming so irritated by his friends incessant demands for answers. He had his chin braced in a hand, staring glum and disinterested out to the dieing light falling behind the plain brick building across the street. Trying to ignoring him outright.

"I'm just asking, cause you seem less like your usual pompous, self important ass like self. " Andrew started, more then a hint of anger and ac accusation in his voice about being ditched on the street. "More, how do I say it. Depressed and down right pathetic looking. " He smirked, finally getting a disgruntled look from Darien.

"Look, Man, your dragging everybody down in here. " Andrew waved a hand towards the Arcade side of the building. "People are avoiding this part of the Arcade, cause your in it. It's like your the ebola virus of fun..."

Darien merely sighed, casting an apathetic glance over to the teens busy avoiding him at the games. Not truly caring his was ruining their good time.

"Sorry I kicked you off my bike." He stated, rapping his knuckles on the table figuring he would take a walk around the central park and work off his anxious feelings.

"I noticed Serena in the end, so no worries. " Andrew gave him a weak smile of understanding.

As Darien stood up, giving Andrew a small gracious smile of his own. "It's nothing really." He sighed, stretching his back with his arms crossed behind his head. He released a soft groan of frustration, catching a concerned look from Andrew. He didn't believe a word of it. Darien was being so casual about his feeling for her but wearing that hurt and worry on his sleeve.

"Yeah, right." Andrew smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's Simple Sweetness...so what happened." He prodded gently.

Darien released another deeper lingering sigh of defeat. "What did happen to her?" He retreated Andrew's question completely bewildered, his voice rising in irritation. Confusion and frustration clear on his face at how much she had changed in the last year.