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.


Cabin Fever

Chapter 4

Call Girl

The time was 9:47 pm. Chelsea had been gone for close to three hours now and Raven had yet to hear from her. What was I thinking kissing her again? Raven said to herself. She is never going to speak to me again. I have got to get her back. I love her. I'm…

Her train of thought was broken by the sound of her telephone ringing. It's got to be her. Raven dove across her bed to answer it.

"Hello?" She said with heightened anticipation in her voice.

"Hey baby. How's my favorite girl?" This greeting came from the unmistakable voice of Devon Carter.

"Oh. Hi Devon!" Raven mustered up as much glee as she could. She was disappointed that it wasn't Chelsea.

"I promised you I'd call you tonight, and here I am." Devon said with a mellow smoothness to his voice.

"Uh-huh." Raven eked out. Her mind was about eleven blocks away in the Daniels' residence. "What? Oh, baby… I'm glad you called."

"You okay Rae? You sound preoccupied." Devon commented.

"No. I'm fine. I'm just tired." Raven covered herself.

"Yeah, me too. I just wanted to let you know that my flight is coming in at 1. Are you coming to the airport?" Devon asked.

"Oh, I promised Chelsea I'd ride to the airport with her to pick Eddie up at 10. She hates going to the airport by herself." Raven said. "Why don't you meet me here tomorrow night."

"That's cool. What do you want to do for winter break?" Devon queried.

"Chels came up with a great idea! We're going skiing!"

"But, Rae you said you hate skiing. I asked you to go last year." Devon reminded her.

"No. I said I hate falling down. I've only got so much ass cushion. I don't want to use it all up before I'm 25." Raven shot back. "Besides, It'll be you, me, Chelsea, Danny, Eddie and Chantel. It'll be fun!"

"I was kind of hoping to get some alone time with you." Devon dropped his voice.

"You mean you want to break off a piece of this Kit Kat bar." Raven spat. There was a part of her that wanted to pick a fight. That part was winning.

"Why do you have to go there, Rae? That's not what I meant." Devon raised his voice slightly.

"Last time you came down here for the weekend just to 'hang out', I had my legs up in the air in your father's apartment. So what am I supposed to think?" Raven answered. She was answered by several seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

"You're right." Devon said. "I'm sorry. I don't want to start off Christmas break like that."

"Apology accepted." Raven blandly acknowledged. "Look, we can talk about the ski trip tomorrow when I see you. I'm gonna turn in. Call me when you land, okay?"

"All right. I will. See you tomorrow." Devon said before adding one thing. "I love you Rae."

Raven hesitated for a moment to ask herself a serious question. If I answer him back, would I really mean it? Do I still love him? This was not the first time she had questioned this since graduation back in June. But it would be the first time her response would differ.

"Sweet dreams Devon. I'll see you tomorrow." Raven said before hanging up the phone. Why couldn't I tell him I love him? What in the world is going on with me? Raven decided to legitimize her cover story of going to bed early and actually do it. Maybe a good night's sleep would allow her to think more clearly in the morning. She was going to need it. Chelsea was coming over first thing in the morning to pick her up to go to the airport.

Raven began undressing and preparing for bed when her phone rang again. Once again she ignored the caller ID and picked up blindly, hoping it was Chelsea.

"Hello?"

"Hey girl!" Another unmistakable voice from the other end of the phone entered Raven's eardrum. It was Eddie.

"Hey Ed." Raven had no more fake glee to summon, as her voice was flat and tired.

"What's wrong Rae?" Eddie had a vague idea based on his earlier conversation with Chelsea.

"Nothing. Everything. My life has completely flipped upside down in the span of two weeks. This is like a fucking episode of The Twilight Zone." Raven vented.

"I know. You and Chelsea kissed. FUCK!" Eddie realized too late that he was not supposed to say a word about what he knew.

"She told you?" Raven asked incredulously as her heart began to pound.

"Me and my big mouth. I wasn't supposed to say anything."

"Why did she tell you?"

"Because neither one of you can hide when you're upset. You wear your hearts on your sleeves. I asked her what was wrong with her, pressed her and she spilled."

"What did she say?"

"Oh no. I am not doing the she said, she said thing. I've said too much already. If I tell you what she said, I have to call her and tell her what you say. It's only fair and we are not 14 years old anymore, passing notes in Mr. Petrachelli's class."

"Eddie, I am desperate here. We kissed again tonight… Twice." Raven said in a near panic. "Devon is coming back tomorrow and I have got to get this thing sorted out."

"Wait. Y'all kissed twice tonight?" Eddie asked. "I told her to be cool."

"So you gave her advice and won't help me? FUCK YOU, Eddie!" Raven hit a flash boil. She was on the verge of tears.

"You're right Rae. I'm sorry. Of course I'll help you." Eddie said. "Chelsea can be very stubborn and will close up on you when she's uncomfortable. So I say do what you do best."

"What's that?"

"Push her until she talks."

"She might end up hating me for it."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah."

"Are you falling for Chelsea?"

Raven answered without hesitation. "I think I am."

"I have never known you to not get something that you put your mind to getting." Eddie offered his take. "If you want to go after something with Chels, just believe in yourself. She didn't say so, but I'd be willing to bet she feels the same way."

"We were planning a ski trip for the six of us for next weekend; me, you, Chels and our significant others. I'd like to know something by then."

"Rae, have faith. Maybe fate will step in and give you a hand. Look, my uncle has a cabin up in ski country. Let me call him and see what I can do for us. I can at least take that off your plate so you can concentrate." Eddie said. "It's a 30-minute ride from your house to the airport. Start pushing. Just be gentle at first."

Raven sighed to herself. She was so lucky to have such a great friend like Eddie in her life.

"Tell me again why we never hooked up?" Raven asked.

"Cause I'm too much man for you." Eddie boasted. "I love you too much to have you bouncing San Francisco all sprung and whatnot."

"You are all man and I love every platonic inch of you. Chantel can have the other inches." Raven joked.

"And she has 'em, WOOOO! ALL NIGHT LONG!" Eddie said, doing his best Ric Flair impersonation.

"I'm going to bed. I'll see you tomorrow. Love you boy."

"Love you girl. Goodnight."


Now you know where the cabin in the title comes from. You know where the fever is coming from too. Slowly but surely, we're getting there. We just have to push the two (the cabin and the fever as well as Raven and Chelsea) together. Be patient. I won't let you down. Chapter five is next.