Lemonade Mouth

Fireworks

One-shot

Written by Lavender

My second LM one-shot, inspirited by my first one-shot for my favourite shipping, Rayella.

I do not own Lemonade Mouth or any of its characters.

(^^)

Ray Beech was known to be intimidating.

At lunch, everyone was known to shy away from him. The feared Bad Boy of Mesa High School. His eyes would scrutinize everyone that walked by with an intense blue stare. Every student who happened upon his field of vision during his scan of his surroundings would be sized up to a T. The new kids would scurry by quickly once they realized who he was.

Everyone feared him.

Everyone listened to him.

Everyone did what he wanted lest they received the deadly glare of the Mudslide Crush front man, Ray Beech.

There were a few rare ones who weren't affected by his position on the social ladder. They stayed out of his way, not listening to him but not bugging him either. They kept their distance and he didn't mind that in the slightest, a few less people on his roll-call meant little to him.

But Stella Yamada was something different completely.

She didn't listen to him. She yelled at him.

She didn't keep her distance. She looked for a fight.

Unlike the other students at Mesa, Stella caught his attention. While others (like Patty and Jules) fawned over him, simpering and smiling to get on his good side, she fought him at every turn even going so far as to publicly spray him with Mel's lemonade during the first few weeks of the birth of Lemonade Mouth.

Her arrival into Mesa High was surprisingly refreshing to Ray. When he glared, she glared back with a smirk. He'd start an argument, she'd finish it. They fought throughout their acquaintance and not once did she show any sign of relenting. As long as he pushed, she pushed. It was a never ending cycle one that both irritated him and entertained him.

Today's argument was no different as the others preceding it.

"You pompous jerk!"

"You loudmouth loser," he shot back.

"You douche!"

"You bigheaded rebel bitch."

"At least I have something that's big," Stella retorted with a smirk getting the surrounding crowd to gasp. "You sure about that?," Ray asked, unsubtly looking down at Stella's modest chest. She pushed him back roughly her brown eyes flashing dangerously.

Her eyes were a source of mystery to him. They were an unremarkable hue so common and insignificant, yet her eyes were so expressive that every emotion she felt would be seen in an instant. Those eyes of hers sparkled excitedly when she played her guitar, performing or just jamming, they'd shine contentedly when she was with her friends and they'd glow brightly when she fought him, just as it was now.

He could see the subtly flecks of gold glowing in her dark brown eyes, flashing like stars and sparkling brighter than fourth of July fireworks.

Fireworks; Ray had a very strong weakness for them. Ever since he was a kid, fireworks enthralled him and enchanted him beyond words. It was mesmerizingly beautiful. He'd gap at them in wonderment, and as soon as they'd disappear in the midnight skies he'd feel the disappointment of their disappearance and Ray didn't like the thought of them never returning. But with Stella, he was assured that the fireworks in her eyes would never vanish.

They'd flash. They'd glow. They'd shine. Just for him.

But the firework show in her eyes would shimmer in contempt unlike the explosion of lights that occurred when she was with her friends, such as Mo, Olivia, Wen and Charlie. Her eyes showed everything.

Happiness, when she was with her friends or playing her guitar.

Sadness, when she couldn't be the leader her band needed during the last few days to Rising Star.

Anger, when she looked at him. Ray knew the angry light show like the back of his hand. He'd be treated to the sight almost every day as a routine when they argued just as they were doing now.

"You wanna question me Beech?" she challenged, coming up to him, her face dangerously close to his.

The sparks in her eyes were clearer, the view so perfect in the proximity that they shared. Specks of gold and emerald were so visible in her brown eyes, teasing his vision with their light show. Every part of her face came into perspective for him. The strays of blonde that ran through her coffee colored locks, the tint of bronze that ran along that rebellious blonde streak and the almost black color that danced on the tips. Her pouty lips, coated in a soft salmon pink, but they changed steadily into a dark red as she caught her lower lip with her teeth as she glared at him. Her skin, a tanned peachy skin tone, was tainted with a soft blushing cherry as if his presence did more than repulse her.

"Of course it is, that's the beauty of fighting with you Yamada," Ray managed in time before Stella realized how his eyes absorbed her face like a sponge. He tried to memorize the contours of her face, the curve of her lips and the rise of her cheeks. He shook his head. Focus.

"Can't you find someone else to entertain you?"

Would there ever be anyone with the fireworks that she had? That outburst of light that danced in her eyes, would anyone other than she have it? Ray doubted that immensely. "No one else will do."

Stella snorted. "Will you ever grow up Ray?"

"Not if I can help it." And not if it keeps the fireworks going, he added silently.

But Ray wondered, was her firework show any different when she was with her friends? He'd see it from far away when she was with them, but he wondered what it would look like up close, just as close as they were now. Would the gold shine and sparkle before they exploded in her eyes or would they glow and erupt spontaneously like those rare times when she found enjoyment in their little repartees. He wondered. And he hoped one day that he'd see what those fireworks look like.

For now however, he had to content himself with her smirk and her brown eyes.

Taking a step away from him, she tilted her chin up to meet those stunningly blue eyes. His scent; warm, husky and inviting was starting to fog her thoughts, but he followed her taking a step towards her. "Now where do you think you're going Yamada?"

"You've had your fun, haven't you?" She asked, notching her chin higher, she cocked her brow at him. "And I've got places to be."

"Hmm, like where?" He bent his head lower so as to keep the view he had of the fireworks. Stella was taken aback. The only time they ever breached normal proximity was when they were yelling at each other. "If you wanna know, I have to get to practice. Lemonade Mouth is performing tomorrow night."

A mention of the band that almost dethroned him would normally cast him into an angry aura, but for today it wasn't happening and he only shrugged. "Tomorrow is tomorrow, you'll have time to practice then."

Her brow arched and she crossed her arms. Gold flecks twinkled in amusement. "Oh, and what would you rather have me do?"

"Nothing," But keep the fireworks going.

Before either could say anything, Patty came up beside him in the hallway. "Ray-ray, babe you promised me lunch," she pouted. Stella rolled her eyes at the sight of her. The flecks were dimming. The glow receding. She was leaving… "Whatever," she muttered, already beginning to turn.

His hand shot out automatically, grabbing her by the wrist.

"What the – Ray, let me go," Stella demanded, tugging her wrist from his grasp as the sparks in her eyes lit up again. "Ray, baby what are you doing?" Patty asked, clutching Ray's forearm.

Stella tugged her wrist harder, but was only pulled towards Ray's chest, his warm aroma radiating off of him. "Ray what the -" The fireworks were shining brighter, slowly lighting up her dark brown eyes. The closer he pulled her towards him, the bigger and brighter the fireworks seemed to get. Without him even realizing, his lips crashed against hers.

For a moment he forgot about the fireworks in her eyes.

He forgot for a moment about Patty standing next to him with her finely manicured nails digging into his forearm.

He forgot about the fact that he was standing in the middle of hallway that led to the school cafeteria.

He forgot about the crowd that had gathered during his observations of Stella's fireworks.

He forgot that he was at the moment, kissing Stella Yamada and causing much more fireworks than he ever witnessed.

And he didn't notice the wolf-whistles, the nails of Patty that were clawing into his skin, hell, he didn't even notice Principal Brinagan riding over on that weird two wheeled god knows-what-it-was, Ray was only capable of noticing the soft, warm lips of one, Stella Yamada.

"What is going on here?" He demanded loudly, the sound of his booming voice, forced Stella and himself to pull away.

"Well, is anyone going to answer me?" He demanded once more, looking round at the students gathered in the hallway that were looking away and mumbling to themselves.

Ray was still ignoring those around him, and simply staring down at the colors and lights exploding in Stella's eyes.

"Beech, Yamada, what is going on here?"

"Uh…"

"Raymond Beech what on earth are you doing with Ms. Yamada!"

Sparks of gold, emerald and ruby flashed from her eyes; exploding in spontaneous bursts of light and leaving behind a gentle flicker, much more stable then the fireworks that went off when she was mad. He couldn't help but smirk in satisfaction at her fluttering lids and her flushed complexion.

Ray answered the principal, his breath brushing gently across Stella's slightly bruised lips, "I'm enjoying the fireworks."

FINIS

So yeah…that's it then. Er, to be honest, this story was actually supposed to be Ray's musing. No dialogue was actually supposed to be in this but somewhere between watching Dear John and that Axe commercial, it somehow came to be.

I know compared to my first LM one-shot: Playing Mr Nice Guyit's not that great, but hey, inspiration hit me and I had no outlet but another one-shot.

To those who've liked and reviewed mentioned one-shot, I'm really sorry that I can't continue into multi-chapter. At the moment, I have about five projects already started and one of them hasn't even reached the second chapter as of yet, and I don't trust myself to take on any more.

But anyway, thanks for reading! I still don't know Mesa High's principal's name (how it's spelt that is) so forgive me for that.

Also, I'm sorry to those who think I've just totally butchered Ray's bad boy attitude, but what can I say, I was in a romantic soppy mood…

Thanks for reading, leave me a line with your thoughts via the best way possible, a review. Come on. You know you wanna ;)

-Lavender