Disclaimer: Characters are owned and produced by The Disney Channel, That's So Productions, Brookwell-McNamara Entertainment, It's A Laugh Productions and Warren & Rinsler Productions. I am just borrowing them for these stories.

The L Word

Chapter 2

La Femme Regina

Moving Day - August 21st

"I am so glad Eddie is coming over to help us." Chelsea said as she strained to carry the large box up the stairs from Raven's bedroom. "Either I've gotten weaker or your shoes have gotten heavier!"

"Now you got jokes!" Raven shot back, straining with her own box. "These are not… UNHHH!… that heavy!" Raven said as she dropped the box near the front door.

The doorbell rings. Chelsea answers the door, sees that it's Eddie and falls into his arms.

"Oh, thank God you're here!" Chelsea exclaimed. "I think she has bricks in those boxes."

"Her shoes, huh?" Eddie dryly replied.

"Both of y'all can go straight to… Hello Dad!" Raven began her thought before her father appeared at the front door. "What are you doing home? I thought you were opening this morning." Raven went over to her father and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"I decided to come give y'all a hand moving. Cory is going to help too." Victor said.

"No need, we are all set. Chelsea and her parents loaded her car early this morning and we're gonna load up my truck and Eddie's truck and we'll be set." Raven assured Victor. "You and Cory go hang out or something. We'll be fine."

"Yeah, Mr. B!" Chelsea added. "Your daughter is in good hands." Chelsea wrapped her arms around Raven's shoulder from behind in a best friend type hug. Victor mentally winced, still adjusting to the girls' new relationship.

"Okay." Victor said. "I'd say have fun, but you're moving so… Bye!"

"See you later Dad!" Raven said as Victor disappeared into the kitchen.

The Three Amigos finished loading all the boxes and headed to campus. Raven and Chelsea were returning to Hayden Hall for their junior year. They decided after much deliberation the semester before to save the off-campus apartment for their senior year and beyond. They were able to get their same room, 5134, from last year.

Eddie had the foresight to secure several handcarts from his uncle to aid the girls in moving. Eddie was following Raven to her room with several boxes on his cart. They were nearing her room when a familiar voice from behind stopped her in her tracks.

"As I live and breathe. Raven Baxter! Welcome back neighbor!" It was Gina Melendez, the nosy future reporter that was Raven and Chelsea's hall mate the previous year.

Raven sat her box down. Several thoughts flashed through her head. Nosy bitch… was the one that seemed to flash the brightest. But Chelsea had told Raven to give Gina, and all people for that matter, a second chance. Raven perked up as she went to embrace Gina.

"Hey Gina!" Raven hugged Gina. "It's good to see you! Where are you this semester?"

"This floor still." Gina replied. "I moved into the single next door to my old room. You and Chelsea still shackin' up?"

Why does she make it sound like we're living together as a couple… Wait a minute, I guess we are! Raven thought.

"Yeah, we can't seem to shake each other!" Raven said as they both laughed. Eddie took this opportunity to clear his throat, signaling his desire to be introduced to the olive skinned beauty. "I'm sorry. Gina Melendez, this is my other best friend, Eddie Thomas. Eddie, this is Gina."

"Regina Melendez. It's my pleasure." Gina said with a mild hint of seductiveness, heavily accenting her name as she said it.

At that moment Chelsea walked up and was about to speak when Raven put her finger to her lips, silencing her girlfriend. I know this heifer is not flirting with Eddie. Raven thought. I've seen that look before. Chelsea thought, referring to the look on Eddie's face, which was that of genuine infatuation.

"No. The pleasure is all mine." Eddie responded. The two stood shaking hands for what seemed to be an eternity. In reality it last about six seconds.

"Gina, I'm sorry, but we have to finish moving. Edward here is parked in the fire lane. Right, Eddie?" Raven said with an annoyed undertone to her voice. Eddie gave no response as he continued to gaze at Gina. Raven elbowed Eddie in the ribs. "RIGHT, EDDIE?… FIRE LANE?"

"Yeah, I've got… to… fire… in the lane." Eddie stammered.

"It was nice to meet you Eddie. Maybe I'll see you around." Gina replied. "Oh, Hi Chelsea!" Gina gave Chelsea a quick hug.

Raven went to pick up her box. Eddie and Chelsea were about to grab boxes from the handcart.

"Eddie?" Gina said. Eddie quickly snapped his head around.

"Todos los amigos consiguen abrazos." Gina said. Raven and Chelsea shot each other a WTF look as they understood what she said.

"My Spanish is rusty. What does that mean?" Eddie inquired. He did not take to Spanish as well as his friends did.

Chelsea translated for Eddie. "It means, 'All friends get hugs.'"

Eddie stepped toward Gina. "How do you say, 'In that case, consider me your friend.'?"

"En este caso, considéreme su amigo." Gina said as she opened her arms to embrace Eddie. He returned the favor.

Raven whispered to Chelsea. "¡Pienso que voy a estar enfermo!"

Chelsea responded with her own whisper. "I think I'm gonna be sick too."

"See y'all later. Bye." Gina said as she disappeared into her room.

Eddie stood frozen, eyes glazed over. Raven brought him back to reality with a slap to the back of the head.

"Not her, Eddie!" Raven whisper-yelled. "She is CIA-type nosy."

"Now Rae, what did I say about giving people a second chance?" Chelsea reminded Raven of their agreement.

"She just rubs me the wrong way, Chels!" Raven said. "I can't put my finger on it."

"She can rub me the wrong way any day of the week." Eddie said. "And I can put my finger on it."

Chelsea looked at Eddie with surprise. She hadn't heard him talk like that since he laid eye on Chantel for the first time. Raven looked at Eddie with disgust.

"You're nasty. You know that right?" Raven asked rhetorically. "I can put my finger on it!" Raven said mockingly.

"Eddie, you are going back to school on Saturday." Chelsea said, reminding Eddie that he lives in Philadelphia now.

"Look, I recall telling somebody standing here that the heart wants what the heart wants." Eddie said this as he looked directly at Raven. Raven shifted uncomfortably in her stance knowing that Eddie said that to her when she was agonizing over her feelings for Chelsea.

"And I also seem to recall telling somebody standing here that people change, situations change and feelings change." He looked directly at Chelsea when he said this. Chelsea dropped her head with the realization that Eddie said that to her about her feelings for Raven.

"My heart is telling me that I want to know more about that girl, that's all. So whatever past you have with her, RAVEN, don't put it off on me." Eddie said. "When we get done with the moving, I'm gonna ask her out."

"But…" Raven put a finger up and started to protest but Chelsea grabbed her arm and brought it down and looked into her eyes immediately calming Raven.

"I hate when you do that." Raven said as she playfully shook her head at Chelsea. Eddie picked up a box as Raven looked at him, squinted her eyes and pointed at him with her index finger. He smiled and put the box in the room.

As they walked into the room, Raven turned to Chelsea. "Did you hear her with that put on accent? 'Regina Melendez. It's my pleasure.' I mean, when has she ever called herself Regina? I mean…"

Chelsea cut Raven off with a kiss. After several seconds, they broke apart. Raven did her best impression of Chicken Little. "What were we talkin' about?"

"Come here. Let me shut you up, too." Eddie came over to Raven with his arms open and lips puckered.

Raven started screaming. "Ewww! Get away from me!" She started laughing as Eddie tackled her on the bed.

"Get away from my woman!" Chelsea playfully huffed as she jumped on Eddie's back and pretended to beat on him.

"Looks fun! Can I play too?" A voice called from the open doorway. It was Gina.

The three of them stopped and looked toward the door.

"Were we making too much noise?" Chelsea inquired.

"No. I'm actually on my way out." Gina replied.

Eddie hopped off the bed and walked over to the door. "Gina… If you're not busy tonight…"

"How's 7:30?" Gina cut Eddie off, anticipating his question.

"Great. I'll pick you up here." Eddie answered.

"Sounds great. Adiós, hermoso." Gina said. She then leaned in to whisper in Eddie's ear. "That means goodbye, handsome." She then turned and walked away.

"Great. There goes our Three Amigos Movie Night." Raven said dejectedly.

"Thanks, Eddie." Chelsea said flatly.

"What's with you two?" Eddie asked incredulously. "Let me finish up so I can go." Eddie was irritated with their open discomfort with Gina.

Raven looked at Chelsea then at Eddie. "Eddie, we're sorry. You're right. We shouldn't act like that. I guess we can give her another chance."

"Yeah Eddie." Chelsea added. "Look, why don't you go out with her tonight and if y'all hit it off then invite her to movie night with us tomorrow."

"Good idea!" Eddie said.

"I don't know…" Raven said with trepidation.

"Devon, Danny, Chantel… they've all been part of movie night before." Eddie said.

"You're right. I don't know why I'm trippin." Raven said just before she froze in her tracks. She was having a vision.

(VISION)

Gina: "Why don't we leave the lovebirds alone…" (kisses Eddie on the lips) "and go back to my room and get… comfortable."

Eddie: "Lead the way."

(END OF VISION)

"Rae? You had a vision! What did you see?" Chelsea asked.

"Well, Gina comes to movie night." Raven said in a loaded matter-of-fact tone.

"So we hit it off?" Eddie asked with excitement.

"Yeah, y'all hit it off." Raven said.

"That's great!" Chelsea replied.

"Gina also finds out about us, Chels." Raven offered. Chelsea's eyes stretch wide upon hearing this.

"Whoa, what did she say?" Eddie asked.

"She called me and Chels lovebirds, just before the two of you slither off to her room." Raven said.

"Was she upset or disgusted about us?" Chelsea asked.

"It didn't look like it. She was too busy being all up in here." Raven said as she waved her hand in Eddie's face.

"Well I guess I need to go to the drugstore, then." Eddie deadpanned.

"You nasty mother…" Raven began before Chelsea cut her off.

"No you don't Eddie." Chelsea reached down in the box at her feet and after rambling for a few seconds produced three condoms. Eddie and Raven looked at her, perplexed.

"What? They were leftover… from before me and Rae… you just don't throw them away!"

"Thanks." Eddie said as he quickly took the prophylactics and stuffed them in his pocket. "Better safe than sorry."

"Better safe than sorry Rae." Chelsea piggybacked on Eddie's comment.

"I don't believe you!" Raven said to Chelsea. "You are aiding and abetting a pervert!"

"I was aiding and abetting a pervert when you took that whipped cream…"

"CHELS!" Raven shrieked in horror then quickly changed the subject. "We have some more boxes to move, people!" Raven's voice became higher pitched and cracked.

"And you call me a pervert." Eddie said shaking his head as he left to go back down for more boxes.

"Anybody ever tell you that you're cute when you're embarrassed?" Chelsea said to Raven.

"Then I must be so fine right now!" Raven said. "How could you say that in front of him?"

"You know you liked it." The change in Chelsea's voice was unmistakable. Chelsea's sexy alter ego, Strawberry, had returned.

"Don't start that now. It's the middle of the day and Eddie is here." Raven said, knowing that she is almost powerless when Chelsea gets like that.

"I think I'm going to get some chocolate whipped cream tonight. Would you like that?" Chelsea purred. Raven shifted in her stance, this time it wasn't uncomfortable.

"If you get me wet…"

"Then I'll have to do something about it. Come on Peaches. Lighten up. I'm just starting the pre-game festivities early." Chelsea again purred. Raven smiled. "That's my girl." Chelsea said with a warm sexuality.

"Chocolate whipped cream, huh?" Raven asked.

"Mmm-hmm." Chelsea hummed.

"Chocolate whipped cream." Raven repeated as they walked out of the room.

Chapter 2. What's up? What did you think? How is this gonna play out? Stay tuned. PLEASE REVIEW.