Lemonade Mouth
By definition
Written by Lavender
Here's another one-shot for my favorite LM shipping Rayella, the fifth in my armada of LM stories yay XD
Think of this as a sequel to my first one-shot for this pairing, Playing Mr. Nice Guy
I don't own Lemonade Mouth or its characters. Hope you guys enjoy the story!
(^^)
By definition Ray Beech was supposed to be the cliché soccer jock; cocky, demanding, selfish and very jerk-like. To his credit, he was very much all of these things. Except for one thing; he didn't like being just that soccer jock.
Ray didn't like the idea of being a meathead. He was much smarter than that.
He wasn't totally obsessed with his sport. In fact most of the time, he wished he wasn't part of it. Principal Brenigan made it quite clear since he became captain that any losses during the season were on his head. Ray was constantly pressured to be the best by not only the school but by the followers of his band Mudslide Crush. If his fans got riled, it was his job to calm them down. If his fans wanted big, it was his job to deliver.
If he could be honest with himself, Ray was always playing a role for someone: To the fans of Mudslide Crush he was their rockstar, and to the school he was the soccer captain that promised them regional trophies.
Ray played his parts well.
By day he was the soccer jock. By night he was the rockstar.
In the morning, he was caught in between. No one ever noticed; except today by none other than Stella Yamada.
Stella blinked. The early autumn morning was calm, the breeze crisp as the fallen golden leaves danced on the pavement; autumn was her favorite season so when her parents took meetings that morning, she was content to walk to school. Imagine her confusion to find Ray Beech sitting on a bench in the park that she walked through to get to Mesa High.
The blonde teenager was leaning against the bench, his hands stuffed into his jeans, his head tilted onto his chest as he stared forlornly onto the leaf covered pavement.
No sign of the conceited, It's-all-about-me front-man of Mudslide Crush. No sign of the cocky, arrogant soccer jock. If it weren't for the blue Mesa High soccer jacket and the tousled blonde spikes, Stella would never have thought that it was Ray.
If the crunching of her boots on the dead leaves didn't give her away, she would've stood behind the bench in shock.
"Did you want something Yamada?" Stella shook her head to get the image of the depressed looking Ray out of her head. But even as she shook her head, Ray was still slumped against the park-bench. "Yamada what do you think you're doing here?" he demanded and she noted that he wasn't as angry or snappy as he usually was. In fact, Ray sounded exhausted.
"It's a public place isn't it?"
He frowned at her, scoffed and then returned to looking at the fallen leaves sprayed out on the floor. She blinked again. "Uh…what happened to you? Did you get run over by a bus?"
"That's none of your business Yamada." Ray was right of course, but it was the first time that he denied her anything.
Ever since Lemonade Mouth's stardom after Rising Star and their performance at Madison Square Garden, the two teenagers fought tooth and nail about the most mundane things. Ray of course would've picked a fight with the Lemon Head's lead singer, Olivia White, but if he was honest with himself, she wasn't much of a fight. Every time he tried to fight with her, she was always defended quickly by her fellow Lemon Heads. The most protective and fiery of them all was of course Stella Yamada, their lead guitarist.
It was kind of obvious who Ray would have to fight with; the timid kitten or the spitfire guitarist? It wasn't exactly a tossup.
"Oh come on Beech," Stella said, trying to lighten his obviously miserable state. "What happened huh? Did Brenigan demand another trophy or was he upset that this one wasn't as big as the last?"
"Leave me alone Stella," he grumbled in reply.
And now she was curious. "Ray, what happened?" she asked stepping onto the pavement beside the bench. "What do you care?"
"I'm asking you aren't I?" She had a point.
An entire six months had passed since Rising Star was lost to both bands. Ray returned to his soccer training. Lemonade Mouth had their Madison performance.
Those six months were spent working hard on winning the next round of trophies for their school; Principal Brenigan started his usual pressurizing as soon as Turbo-Blast agreed to sponsor the Mesa High soccer team. Ray had to balance soccer training, school work and Mudslide Crush practices. But leave it to Principal Brenigan, the cheerleaders of Mesa, Ray's parents and the fans of Mudslide Crush to keep him constantly on edge.
For the past couple of months, no one really cared how stressed the blonde was.
Principal Brenigan wanted his trophies. The cheerleaders wanted to be on the winning team. The fans of Mudslide Crush wanted new sounds, new material; more performances. Ray's parents wanted good grades, continuously reminding him of university. Everyone wanted something from him.
"I'm just tired," he answered, Stella took a seat on the bench beside him somewhat hesitantly and said, "Yeah I kind of figured."
At the look Ray was sending her, she shrugged and elaborated, "You've been too tired to fight with me for the past two months." He rolled his eyes. "What are you talking about? We fought after school yesterday. Brenigan gave us detention again." Unfortunately due to Stella's little revolution, Principal Brenigan was forced to treat everyone fairly or face the half-Asian revolutionary's ultimate wrath.
"Yeah, but as I remember it only lasted two minutes," she reminded him with a grin, "normally we fight for at least ten minutes and it involves a bigger crowd than Patty and Jules."
"They're the only ones stupid enough to try and intervene."
"I know; why do you waste your time with them anyway?"
"It's a waste of my time to tell them to leave me alone. Besides, when you aren't around at least I'll have someone to yell at."
"Though I bet you can't argue with them long," Stella stated crossing her arms and smirking. "Yeah, but at least I have the satisfaction of seeing them cower," Ray said with a chuckle. To him that was the only thing the two cheerleaders were useful for, to vent his frustrations on.
"So, are you going to tell me what's wrong?"
"Do you actually care?"
"I asked didn't I?"
"Don't answer questions with questions, it's annoying." She rolled her eyes at him, obviously annoyed that he was dodging her question. "Come on Ray. What's going on huh?" The blonde looked at her for a moment and then shrugged. "Ray come on, where's the usual glare and grumble? This isn't the guy that I spit lemonade at."
"Thank god for that."
"Come on," Stella tried again, "come on," she continued to whine, getting a hint of a smile to ghost over his face.
"Why do you want to know so badly?"
"Well obviously no one's asked you since the soccer season started."
"Since when did you become so observant?" She pretended to look thoughtful. "Well for one thing, we haven't caused a scene since my spit take in the cafeteria."
"Oh, so you miss fighting with me Yamada?" Of all the people Ray could forget, how on earth did Stella Yamada escape his mind? "Say what you want Beech, but I could just miss spitting at someone." He rolled his eyes. "Alright fine," Ray relented, "I really am just tired. So there." Stella shook his head at him. "What, no 'I'm under pressure'? No, 'Everyone won't leave me alone'? No 'I'm so stressed I've aged thirteen years'?"
"And you think I'm all these things because…?"
"One: the obvious lack of fighting. Two: you've got bags under your eyes," she demonstrated by holding his chin and tilting his face with her hands. "Yeah, definitely aged a couple of years," Stella stated, "Three: you haven't been eating." She took a scrutinizing look over his person and shook her head. His Mesa High royal blue soccer jacket was hanging loosely on him, not how it usually fitted his lean toned form.
"Should I be worried by how often you watch me or…?"
"Don't get a big head Beech, my dad's a doctor remember?"
"Fine, so I'm not doing so great, what of it?"
"Come on Ray," Stella said, nudging him with her shoulder. "If everything's too much for you, it's okay to admit it." Ray inhaled deeply and shook his head. "So I'm stressed." She rolled her eyes and added, "And overworked and under pressure and -"
"If you know what's wrong why are you asking?"
"Oh, I just wanted proof that you're human too," Stella answered cheekily getting him to roll his eyes and chuckle a little. "Fine, so is that enough proof for you?"
"Yeah I guess," she said with a shake of her head and a small smile. "So are you feeling any better?"
His brow arched. "How was admitting anything supposed to make me feel better?" Stella rolled her eyes, "Because now that I know, I can help you out."
"You…want to help me?"
"If I didn't, I wouldn't be here talking to you when we're already twenty minutes late for school."
"We're late?" Ray asked, already standing, his hand clutching onto his messenger bag. "And you care because…?"
"I've got work to catch up." She shook her head again, and grabbed his wrist, dragging him back down onto the bench. "You obviously need a break." He frowned and reiterated, "I have work to catch up." Stella rolled her eyes. "I heard you the first time Ray."
"So what are you suggesting I do?"
"I'll help you out with school work here. Going to school will probably just stress you out even more; unless of course you want to be bugged by your cheerleaders and Brenigan?" He made a face quite similar to a Lemonade Mouth. "I'd rather not."
"Good, so we have a deal?"
"What do you get out of this Stella?" Ray asked raising a brow in suspicion. "I get the satisfaction of paying you back for taking care of me a couple of weeks back." He found himself flushing a bit. "I was hoping that you'd forget about that."
"Why would I? Ray Beech playing Mr. Nice Guy for me, it's not something you can exactly forget, even if I was a little dozed by the cough medicine."
"Fine," he consented.
The rest of the day was spent at the park, the two were pouring over textbooks and practical sheets. It helped that the two took the same classes. Despite not being the genius that her parents and siblings were, Stella was still intelligent enough to get at least 'B' average on most of her subjects.
In the end, Ray was thankful that he didn't have to spend countless hours listening to Jules and Patty's incessant talk about heaven knew what. After listening to them, he'd have to endure Brenigan and the rest of his fellow jocks. He was glad that the only voice he had to listen to that day was Stella's. The only time during that day that he had to encounter other people was when the two teenagers went to Dante's for lunch.
"What'll it be Stella?" Dante asked over the kitchen counter. "Lemonade Mouth usual please," Stella replied dragging Ray to the Lemonade Mouth's usual table. "Come on Ray, do I have to drag you everywhere?"
"What's the Lemonade Mouth usual?" He sounded almost disbelieving saying it out loud. He'd been around Mesa's since he was a kid. He grew up eating at Dante's and he never had a pizza named after him.
"Huh? Oh, well quarter vegetarian, quarter Hawaiian and half meat special."
"Now that's what I call variety," Ray commented to which Stella added, "It's because Charlie and Wen prefer the meat and I'm vegetarian so it makes things easier to order one pizza instead of two especially if I'm the only one eating it."
"Imagine the calories," he said sarcastically eliciting a snort from the half-Asian. "Wow, you almost sounded just like Jules for a second."
"Don't put me in that category."
"Yes, yes, Ray Beech is by definition not Jules."
"Do I look like I can work that cheerleading skirt?" He asked; his brow arched expectedly. "I don't know; would you willingly wear it?" Ray opened his mouth to reply, but Dante interjected with the plate of pizza balanced on his hand. "Here's the Lemonade Mouth special for the happy couple."
"Oh we aren't -"
"No, no, no don't lie to Dante, remember I can still take this away." Both teenagers exchanged a look and kept silent. "Here we go! Enjoy kiddies!" Dante claimed before he waltzed back into the kitchen. "Well that was random," Ray muttered. "You're telling me." No more words were exchanged as they ate their pizza.
In the middle of their eating, rain started to fall outside.
"I can't believe this," Stella muttered as both of them stood at the entrance of Dante's pizzeria. "Where'd this downpour come from?" Ray asked as he leaned against the doorframe. "The sky obviously." He snorted. "Obviously." They stood silent for a moment before Ray spoke up again, "It's a good thing we have my car though."
"How's that going to help me?"
"Because," Ray began as he shrugged out of his soccer jacket and placed it over Stella's small shoulders, "by definition, this is the exact moment to act like a gentleman."
"Or it's one of those moments where you can use pick up lines like that," she said, but hugged the soccer jacket tighter. He snorted. "Do you want a ride or do you just want my jacket?"
"I'll take the ride, but I'll hold onto the jacket just in case you decide to bail on me."
"Don't you trust me?" He asked innocently. "Mm…no…not really," Stella replied with a grin. "Good girl," Ray stated right before he rushed out into the downpour. She blinked out into the heavy shower as she watched his figure disappear into the rain. "Ray you're crazy, get back here!" A few seconds later the headlights of Ray's car flashed into the doorway of Dante's pizzeria.
He rolled the window down. "Are you waiting for an invitation?"
"You're crazy," she shouted into the downpour. "Get in Stella." She rolled her eyes. Luckily for her Ray parked very close to the entrance and even as she ran outside, hardly a drop of water touched her.
"Great parking space," Stella commented with a grin as the warm heat from the radiator unfroze the cold chill that sat on her skin. "Wish I could say the same," Ray said brushing the water off his forehead. "Geez Ray, I told you that you were crazy," she stated reaching over to him and holding his face with her hands.
"Do you have anything to keep you warm?"
"Well I, there's -" She was in the process of removing Ray's jacket before he interjected, "Hey keep that on, wouldn't want you to get sick again."
"Says the guy that's making a puddle in his car," Stella retorted but he rolled his eyes at her. "Just keep it on Stell," Ray said shaking the water out of his wet blonde locks. "And if you get sick?"
"I'll be fine."
"Blah, blah, blah," she responded grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him towards her. "If you won't take your jacket, I'll keep you warm some other way," she informed him. For a moment there was silence as the two hugged, Stella's one hand moving in a circular motion on his back to warm him. "This is…kind of…awkward." He managed as he inhaled the aroma of jasmine and vanilla. "Suck it up Ray."
After she was sure that he was warm enough from both their little hug and the radiator, she pulled away from him and wiped his forehead with her hand, absent mindedly brushing away a blonde spike that lost its volume because of the water.
They stared at each other; warm brown hazel and cool cobalt.
"Isn't that the cutest thing ever?" Dante declared loudly from the doorway of his pizzeria as Ray's car had yet to move from its position. The eye contact broke and they pulled away awkwardly. He cleared his throat. "Let's get you home." Stella could do nothing but agree, hugging the royal blue Mesa High soccer jacket around her small frame, the smell of spice of wood-smoke clinging to his jacket.
The whole ride was silent and as they reached Stella's street, Ray pulled over.
"So…"
"So…"
"Uh…thanks for -"
"What're you saying thanks for?" Ray asked, "You were the one helping me."
"Yeah, but I wanted to thank you for giving me a reason to bail out on school today," Stella said with a shrug and a smile. "And for the pizza, you know you didn't have to pay for the pizza. I had money."
"I know," he replied, "but by definition, the guy pays for the food."
"And what would this whole day be considered as, by your definition," she asked carefully getting him to look thoughtful. "Well, eating lunch together, giving you my jacket and driving you home…hmm…that would probably all add up to…well by definition this would be considered a date."
"Oh…"
"Yeah so…"
"Was this a date?" Stella asked again. "It depends."
"On?"
"On whether I can get you to agree on another one," Ray answered almost nonchalantly. Though her face was flushed pink, she commented, "You're a real smooth operator Beech."
"Glad you think so," he said with a smirk. "So would that be considered as a yes?"
"That depends," she answered. "On what?"
"On whether I get to keep your jacket," Stella answered, crossing her arms and smiling. At his raised brow she shrugged. "What can I say, I'm attached." He rolled his eyes. "You do know that keeping my jacket means you agree to be stuck with me right?"
"By whose definition?"
"Mine." Stella looked thoughtful again. "Hmm…well if I get to keep the jacket…"
"Is that a yes?"
"Sure," Stella consented pulling her towards him and kissing him lightly on the cheek. "Thanks for the jacket Beech." Before he could react she stepped out of his car and was on her way into the house.
It was only drizzling now, but Stella didn't feel any of it as Ray's jacket clung to her. The owner of said jacket watched from his car window as she walked towards her home, his name on the back of the uniform jacket branding her as his. Stella's blonde streaked brunette locks hung lazily over the collar of his jacket just below the insignia 07 RAY BEECH.
Stella didn't register the light rain crying onto her form, but she did notice that Ray had whirled her around and kissed her as the drizzle fell around them.
By definition getting kissed in the rain was known as the best kissing experience known to all cliché romances.
By Stella's definition getting kissed in the rain by Ray Beech of all people was probably the most exhilarating experience she'd ever known; other than playing at Madison of course.
Of course after playing at Madison, all she got was an I HEART THE GARDENS t-shirt. Kissing Ray Beech, she got his jacket and him.
FINIS
So that's the one-shot for you guys, hope you all enjoyed! I'm not sure where this idea actually came from but hey…
Thanks to these amazing guys for reading my forth one-shot In plain sight:
Elle, Doubt But Never Regret, iStoleYourBlueMoonIceCream, 4KMGloveXDrama101 and tilvy19it By the way, I'm really sorry for the spelling error in the principal's name (again…) sheesh, I really got to add his name to my spellcheck…
Thank you for reading, leave me a line to tell me what you think. Thanks!
Lavender