"Marks, Logan."
Terra stepped out onto the stage, smiling nervously. A few years ago she never would have believed she could graduate high school, and dying in her early teens hadn't exactly helped matters. She walked across, hearing the polite applause, and tried to keep smiling even as it hit her thatnobody out there was clapping for her. All of her friends had family coming, but her so-called family were miles away.
As she took her diploma, a piercing wolf-whistle sounded. She turned slightly to see a large african-american teen standing next to a short, kinda cute blonde dude. Next to them was a guy with straight, flat black hair and sunglasses and 2 girls, a red head and a raven haired girl. It was the oldest boy who'd whistled- he was nudging his short friend and gesturing between him and Terra. The smaller guy was bright red with embarassment. Terra rginned, waved at them (just for the heck of it) and walked off the stage, diploma proudly clasped in one hand. All 5 of them broke into loud cheers and applause. The red-head even jumped int the air in delight, before being yanked dow by her black haired companion.
Terra's smile wasbright on her face, but although she did feel lightened by those teens she felt a stab of sorrow in her heart. Weird how much they'd reminded her of the Titans, but only Robin would ever have been able to blend into a crowd, and there was no way he was ever going to get his spiky hair to lie flat like that.
She sighed, trying to make sure no one heard, and watched as her friends received their diplomas in turn. She threw her cap om the air with as much enthusiasm as any of her classmates, though truthfully she had absolutely no idea what she'd do now school was over. She'd sent off college applications but she was never going to afford the tuition, so it was really out of the question.
After exchanging congratulations with her buddies, Tera headed towards the refreshment table. Free food was a blessing she couldn't afford to ignore. Mmmm, it looked like apple pie was on offer. She reached for a slice, and knocked into someone else clearly going for the same treat. She blushed.
"Sorry!" She spoke, at the exact same time as the guy she'd bumped into. He was also blushing. It was the blonde guy fom earlier, the one whose friend had wolf-whistled.
"it's okay," terra managed, smiling despite her suddenly pounding heart. He smiled back, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. She pushed all the associations she wasmaking from her mind. She couldn't think of him.
"Uh, sorry about my friend earlier." He said, jerking his thumb over at where his tall friend was laughing with a group of jocks. She shivered. Even his voice...
Trying not to let him see how extremely weirded out she felt, she frinned athim. "It's fine. It cheered me up, actually."
he smiled, then frowned. "You were sad?"
She shrugged, pretending nonchalance. "Yeah, I didn't have anybody to come see me graduate so I was a bit down."
"I bet there are some people who would have liked to come."he insisted, with surprising vehemence. "You should have asked them."
Terra's forehead wrinkled and she raised an elegant eyebrow. "Okay. Next time I graduate I'll invite all my invisible friends to come watch. \hsppy?"
he flashed a half hearted, slightly apologetic grin at her and shook his head.
"No, I mean, you know, isn't there anybody you miss? Kinda left them on bad terms, want to make it right?"
she raised an eyebrow at him and he backtracked.
"I mean, uh, I just, I kinda feel like that so I thought you maybe, or not, I mean, uh-"
she laughed, though it hurt her heart to hear this stranger sounding so much like Beast Boy.
"yeah, I guessI feel like that too." She admitted. "but they wouldn't have come anyway."
"Yes, they would!" He protested, rather strongly.
Okay, now terra had to check. She peeked at his ears. Nope, not pointy. She picked up a plate of sausage rolls and held it out to him.
"Uh, no thanks. I'm a vegetarian."
Terra smiled. Just a coincidence, she told herself firmly. Just. A. Coincidence.
"Oh, sorry. What'syour name?"
"My name? Oh, my name! It's, it's, Taran! Yeah. Taran Fields. That's my name."
A giggle broke free from Terra. She couldn't stop herself, even though Taran was now staring at her like he'd been betrayed. Out of the corner of her eye she saw his friends watching him, and her friends wondering who could make her laugh so freely. She hadn't felt like this in years.
She felt brighter. Maybe this guy wasn't Beast Boy, but maybe it was some kind of cosmic second chance. It could happen!
He clearly didn' get why she was laughing, but he smiled anyway.
"Hey, I know this really great place to get apple pie."He found himself saying. "best pie in the universe. Would you maybe like to go there with me?"
She grinned. "You don't even know my name."
He shrugged. "Your teacher kind of called it out when you went on stage, Logan."
"Oh." She blushed. Why did she keep blushing around this guy?
She looked in his eyes, and for a moment she could have sworn she was looking at Beast Boy just after he told her his real name.
"Yeah. Yeah, okay. It's a date."