The True Meaning of Friends
Katherine, the optimistic cheer leader somehow added Raven into her group of friends. Raven was not pleased. The group consisted of three other cheer leaders named Cathy, Brianna, and Sage, and two girls who were on the swim team named Anne and Sarah. Anne and Sarah would have been on the cheer squad if cheering wasn't during swimming season. Cathy was Asian and skinny and had that long dark black hair with dark grey eyes. Brianna was Mexican and had a bit more meat to her bones including her big breasts; she was short and had short dark mousy brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. Sage was tall and slender and had long wavy silky looking blond hair and pretty sky blue eyes. Both Anne and Sarah had an hourglass figure; they were tall, lean and had the curves which would make any guy drool. Anne had long flowing strawberry-blond hair and a crystal looking blue eyes. Sarah had dark red hair which made Raven wonder if she dyed it, and instead of having light blue eyes, they were a stormy dark blue.
They all were annoyingly overly exultant girls. Raven didn't know how she was able to be even in the same room as all these girls. They were too aggravating. But still, it was kind of nice having friends (would she even consider them that. she really didn't care much for them) who didn't see you as that creepy emo goth girl, who didn't judge upon looks. But on the other hand they were all completely innocent. They knew nothing of the wrong, of the dark, of how mean people could really be.
When the question of can you be on the cheer squad came up, Raven didn't know exactly what to say. "I don't think so" said Raven. The seven of them were at a table eating lunch. So far she hadn't been able to pull herself away from them, and it wasn't because she actually liked them, cause she didn't. "oh, why not?" asked Katherine, pouting. "Yes, why not?" whined Cathy, Brianna and Sage. Raven sighed through gritted teeth. How she hadn't actually killed one of them by now was pure mystery. "I…" Raven stopped, she wasn't sure how to tell them that girls like her just don't do cheerleading. "is it because you can't do the moves?" asked Katharine, "because we can teach you how, and you did say you were flexible" she reminded. "It's not that" said Raven. "Then what is it" asked all the girls. "it's… I don't really like crowds, or that much attention. It makes me nervous. Plus I'm a goth ("as you would call it here" she thought) and cheerleading goes against all goth normality. "Goth? What's goth?" asked Katharine. Raven starred in amazement. had she used the wrong word, or were they just that naïve. The other six girl's faces were blank too; they obviously didn't know what it meant. Just looking at their questioning faces made Raven want to laugh. She held it back, not wanting to hurt their feelings, though they probably wouldn't even know what she was laughing about if she did.
"Goth is…" Raven stopped, how was she even supposed to explain this, when she wasn't even from this world. They were all still starring at her blankly. Raven sort of starred back. This starring was annoying. Raven turned her head trying to escape the peering eyes. "Why do crowds make you nervous?" asked Sage out of nowhere. Raven could have killed her right there. She was giving these stupid girls too much information about herself, but somehow she couldn't stop herself. She answered the question truthfully. "I've never really been around many people before. This is kind of my first time. I don't like it when everybody's eyes are on me. It makes me feel nervous and even more timid and I already hate that feeling. I've never ever been around people who judge you. I've never been worried on how others think of me. I know I shouldn't, but somehow… I can't help it. People already think I'm strange enough already and I can't really do anything about it. I can't haunt them, put them at my mercy, and shed blood, anything I would normally do." Raven almost fell through her chair when she realized what she had just said. None of the girls really thought she meant it in that sort of sense. They just thought she was exaggerating and maybe it was a Goth thing to say. Raven looked at them nervously. They didn't really seem bothered by what she had said. They actually looked sympathetic. They knew how she kind of felt.
"We all know how you feel in one way or another" said Cathy, "When I first started cheerleading I almost died I was so nervous. But after a while I grew more comfortable with it. I even still get a bit nervous before competitions". "I can't present" said Sarah "I can do almost anything else except that, as long as someone else is there with me. We all have your back Raven". All the girls nodded. Raven starred. She almost felt like crying. Was this how it felt when you found out somebody actually really cares about you. "Ok, I'll at least try, but if I don't like it I'm out. All of you all have to promise One: not to laugh, Two: help me learn some moves before trying out, and Three: teach me how to deal with a person without killing them" Said Raven her voice actually light for once. The six girls looked at each other then at Raven "Deal" they said in unison.
"So… what exactly is Goth?" asked Sarah. Raven sighed as she rolled her eyes. "A Goth is a person who dresses more on the darker side, doesn't exert a lot of energy, and think on the darker side" explained Raven. She paused she wasn't sure what else to say. "How do you think on the darker side?" asked Sarah. "I don't know how to explain that, I, we just think differently" Raven said. "Doesn't everybody think differently?" asked Brianna confused. "Never mind "said "Raven, "forget it". "But…" protested Katherine. Raven interrupted her, "drop it, if you're that curious look it up".
The bell Rang. Raven jumped up and yelled goodbye as she got out of there as fast as she could. "Maybe they're not that bad" thought Raven, "but that doesn't mean they're any less annoying". "God, I might kill myself one of these days" thought Raven sighing. "Ugh" she groaned "Life Fitness, which means more stares and more attention. Have to be normal. How can I be normal? I'm different in every single damn way. I'll ignore them, then cause them misery later. Good Plan Raven".
Raven gave a sigh of relief when she found it was their day for running; running around the entire school on a specific rout in less than twenty minutes. "I bet I can make that in fifteen minutes or less" murmured Raven to herself. She began to stretch. Looking around she realized not many people were stretching. "Typical" thought Raven "human teenagers are so lazy". A whistle sounded and they were off. Everybody seemed to be jogging and going slow, but Raven. She sprinted. With a deep breath and narrowing her eyes she began to go even faster, almost reaching her top speed. Her breathing was even the entire time she ran. This was in no way that difficult. Seeing the finish line, she went up to her top speed and sprinted as fast as she possible could past her teacher with the timer. She slowed. She was now finally breathing heavier, but not uncontrollably. Her Teacher looked at her in amazement, "twelve minutes, sixteen seconds" he said. She smirked at him ever so slightly then turned and started to stretch again. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing, slowing it down and relaxing all her muscles. Around eighteen minutes her classmates began to show up one by one then gradually in larger groups. The last group sounded like they were dying, they were breathing so hard. Obviously they were not in shape.
Raven almost gave a groan when she realized she was going to art all sweaty. "You have got to be kidding me!" thought Raven, "there is no way I'm going to class looking like a complete mess". The bell rang and Raven waited until everyone was out until she teleported home. Throwing her clothes aside she hurriedly stepped into the shower for a quick rinse off. She jumped out of the shower water dripping of her lean body. She swept the water away with her powers. There was no time to dry off with a towel. "One and a half minutes" thought Raven, "gotta hurry". Putting her clothes on with magic she disappeared and materialized in the hall which nobody was in. she walked through the door just as the bell rang.
Almost everyone watched the teacher as she demonstrated the technique of shading. She was not watching. She already knew pretty much everything about art, all the different styles and stuff; this was a waste of time. Instead she doodled various scenes in her notebook, which consisted of causing the snotty kids in choir certain misery, and shedding blood of people she really disliked.
"your assignment for tonight is to find a image that you would like to for your shading assignment" said the teacher loudly as everybody packed up, "and it must be approved by me" she finished as the bell rang. Raven's eyes narrowed as she walked to choir; tolerating their snootiness was almost impossible. "What to do" thought Raven, "obviously I can't hurt them physically, but what about fear. I can find out what scares them the most then incorporate in a horrible nightmare, which will teach them not to mess with me". She almost smiled evilly from the idea.
Again, as she walked in everybody gave her a disapproving look. Raven gave them her death glare which made almost all of them turn their eyes from her. Only two girls were left glaring at her, Stephanie, and Taylor, the leaders of the group and the worst out of all of them. Starring them down was not an option, neither one of them would glance away. The teacher cleared her throat grasping all of their attention. Raven looked at the woman with no emotion. Her face had become neutral. It was now impossible to tell what she was feeling or thinking. Parts of phantom of the Opera were handed out. "I must get first part" thought Raven, "to prove to them I can be here, plus this song is totally mine". "In two days" started Ms. Nalm, "I will test you for your part. You must memorize it and of course be in tune and have good tone". In her mind she was grinning. This would be so easy; the only problem was that the teacher did not like her. She had to be the best; she had to stun her with her voice.
For the rest of the period they practiced or did whatever. Stephanie walked up to Raven with superiority, "you might as well get switch classes so you don't embarrass yourself. No part is for you, especial first, THAT'S MINE!". "Really, that's too bad, cause I'm gonna steal it away from you. That part is MINE! I'll sound way better on it, more than you could ever do in a million years. You poor thing just don't got those high notes in you, but don't worry, I do. Unlike all of you who will be most likely bringing it down an octave I will not, and my voice will not quiver, or squeak like yours" said Raven in a light sweet evil sweet voice. Stephanie was fuming, "We'll see!" she said. "No you will see, not me, I already know" said Raven smiling. Stephanie glared at her. "Goodbye" Raven said shooing her away. Stephanie growled as she stomped away. Oh how good that had felt, standing up to her, putting Stephanie in her place.
Raven counted down the seconds until the bell would ring. "Five, four three" started Raven watching everyone lining up at the door, "two, one" she continued "and 0" she said as the bell rang. Everyone rushed out, except her. She was in no hurry, nothing exciting to do. That was until her so called friends surrounded her at her locker. "This can't be good" thought Raven. Each one of the girl's faces was filled with excitement. "Are you going to tell me or just stand there?" raven asked sarcastically. "Guess what?" Katherine said trying to hold back her excitement. Raven just looked at her, before she could even say anything Katherine told her. "The mall is having a huge sale" she squealed "we have to go now!). Raven shut her locker, I actually got…" started Raven before she was cut off by Sage. "Oh no, you're going With US!" she said, dragging Raven away from her locker. "Guess I don't got a choice in the matter" thought Raven, "somebody kill me".