DISCLAIMER: TEEN TITANS and all related characters and elements are trademarks of DC Comics.

CHAPTER 1

It was a bright day in Jump City.

The group was gathered around their usual lunch table amidst the rowdy Jump City High population. Victor, the football ace, was busy shoving down heaps of his lunch down his throat, with his best friend, Garfield, beside him, doing the same. On Victor's other side, Richard handled his meal in a more civilized manner while he conversed with the scarlet-haired beauty, Kori Anders. Kori sat across from Richard, enthralling him with a story in between bites of her infamous mustard and peanut butter sandwich. Beside Kori was Tara who watched the eating contest between Vic and Gar with amusement.

Just then, a loud bang sounded and everyone looked up to the pink-haired girl that appeared out of nowhere. "You will not believe what just happened!"

After a moment of surprised silence, Kori spoke. "What is it that has happened, friend Jinx?"

Jinx – or Nicole Diaz in real life – looked at the group with wide, excited eyes. She was just bursting at the seams with something. It was the most unbelievable, shocking, squee-worthy bit of juicy news. She wanted to shout it out at the top of her lungs but thought better of it. Instead, she slipped into the seat beside Tara and leaned forward into the huddled group. "Raven."

At that name, Richard's spine went rigid. "What happened to Raven?"

Jinx shot a look at the blue-eyed boy. Really, he was so touchy whenever it came to his best friend. The bit of news she had would surely set him off. She eyed each and every one at the table before revealing, "Jason Todd just asked Raven out."

There was a moment of stunned silence before, "WHAT!?"

"And she accepted," Jinx finished with a satisfied smile.

"WHAT!?"

"What's going on?"

All eyes swept towards the direction of the feminine drawl and saw the dark-clad form of their subject standing by their table with a lunch tray in hand.

Kori bounced in her seat and joyously proclaimed, "Oh, friend Raven! Jinx has shared to us the wonderful news! Congratulations!"

Tara beamed as well. "You have a date!" The blonde exclaimed with obvious excitement.

Rachel – more fondly referred to as Raven by her friends – rolled her eyes and turned an annoyed look at Jinx beside her. "Thanks Jinx."

The pink-haired girl merely laughed, very much used to the attitude. "What? You can't blame me. It was some news."

"So it's true?" Garfield piped up, finally finished with his lunch. "You have a date?"

Rachel blushed a bit. "It's nothing big," she mumbled.

"What do you mean nothing big?" Jinx objected. "This is big, Rae!"

"I'm just going to an outdoor concert in the park," Rachel defended.

"Ohhh this is most exciting!" Kori exclaimed. She leaned over Tara to get closer to Rachel and whispered, "Please, I wish to know how the Jason Todd approached you."

Tara's eyes brightened and she closed in on Rachel as well. "Yes! Do tell!"

While the girls prodded Rachel for details, the boys were looking on with confused faces.

"I don't know how to feel about this, man." Victor sighed while eyeing the giggling girls in their hushed conversation. How they managed to make their conversation hushed despite them sitting in one table was lost on him. He turned to the other guys in the table and asked, "Is this Jason Todd the same Jason Todd I know?"

"How many Jason Todd are in this school, dude?" Garfield answered. "Ask Richie, he knows the guy."

Victor turned to Richard who had suddenly gone quiet. The guy looked deep in thought. "Dick?"

But Richard didn't answer, appearing too lost in his own head. He was just sitting there, seemingly glaring at his food. And Victor knew that whenever Richard had that kind of face on, it was best to leave him be. He turned back to Garfield and whispered, "Is he the guy who trashed Dick that one sparring match?"

Garfield stifled a snicker as he remembered the said sparring match. "Yep, that's Jason Todd."

Victor let out a low whistle as he glanced back towards Richard. Now he knew what the constipated look was for.

A sudden squeal from Kori brought the boys' attention back to the girls. That girl was always squealing about one thing or another.

"I am most excited for you, my friend!"

"Me too, Rae! We are so going to help you get ready for this date."

"It's not a date!" Rachel tried to protest, aware of the looks their group was getting from the rest of the students present in the cafeteria.

Jinx laughed. "Of course it, Raven. And Tara's right, we are so there come Saturday."

Victor decided it was time he joined the excitement, if only to extract more information. "Doth my ear deceive me? My little Raven's being courted?"

Victor missed the withering look Richard shot at his statement. But Jinx caught it, and she was intrigued.

What's this?

She stared curiously her eyes at the moody boy. It was no secret – he was notoriously protective over Raven. Richard Grayson was the alpha of the school. He has the smarts, the looks, the social standing, and the martial arts prowess. His protectiveness over Rachel Roth was known all throughout the school, and even all over their fair city. He has throttled one too many guys for even just looking wrong at her.

Now that Jinx thought about it, Richard was the very reason why Rachel was considered untouchable.

And now, there he was, making funny, strange faces at the discussion of his best friend's date. Could it be? Richard was pissed off because his best friend was asked out? Or was it something else?

Jinx mentally smirked. Whatever could it be, she smelled drama in the making. And she loved drama.

Her lips curved into a sly smile as she straightened in her seat and addressed Richard. "What can you say, Rich?"

At the question, all eyes looked towards the leader of the gang, and Richard was caught off guard for a moment.

"About what?" He snapped gruffly.

Kori quickly provided the answer, eternally oblivious to the mood. "Oh, Richard. Rachel has a date this Saturday!"

Richard turned to Rachel with a stern expression. "A date?"

Rachel met his hard blue eyes with her own sharp violets. "It's just a day out in the park."

"With Jason Todd?"

Rachel quirked a dainty eyebrow at the way he spat out the name. She knew what his hard tone meant and why. She remembered the sparring incident quite clearly. "Robin."

Richard's eyes softened at the use of his nickname but his hard facial expression remained. "And you said yes?"

Jinx, Victor, and Tara watched the scene with interest, while Kori and Gar simply watched, lost to the emotions and tension that was slowly developing.

Rachel flushed again. "I... I kind of really wanted to go to the concert. Argent will be playing."

Victor felt the growing tension between the two childhood friends – Richard looked ready to chew Rachel out. So 'big-bro' Cy quickly came to the rescue.

"Aww," Victor cut in with a teasing grin. "My little Rae-Rae's growing up."

The tension dissipated as everyone laughed and began teasing Rachel. Jinx wiped a fake tear in her eyes, "Oh, we are so proud."

The table buzzed with discussion about Rachel and Jason Todd and their 'date'. Kori and Tara made plans on helping her with her outfit and make-up while Jinx simply listened to their talk. But at the corner of her eyes, she kept glancing at the now brooding Richard Grayson.

Beside the brooding boy, Victor was doing the same.

Richard was quiet again, staring at nothing in particular. He remained that way for the rest of the day.

To be continued~

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello, guys! I live, I'm alive, yeah haha! It has been a very busy month for me. I am supposed to post something every month but February has been a twat. So I'll be posting two chapters to make up for missing last month (yep, Chapter 2's ready for you). I'll be done with school by the end of this March but I've got a load of stuff to wrap up first. Then I should be back to my regular routine. Don't miss me much, neh? Thanks for reading!

AN2: Don't ask about the title. I couldn't come up with anything better to save my life. And this is non-beta'd; I apologize for any boo-boo's.