32 Productions Presents…
A Teen Titan Fan Fiction The Teen Titans in…"Normal Equals Boring"
Chapter Three
Bus Ride Home
Kori sank low in her seat. That was the third geek to ask her for…favors in return for homework being done. She felt sick. Even on Tamaran, where emotions run free, such actions are considered disgusting and inappropriate. In fact, using one's body to achieve one's desires in such a fashion was considered illegal in the past, though one of the emperors had that changed (big surprise). How could anyone do such a thing? What kind of person WAS she?
Kori: (mumbling) The type of person who would date Mammoth.
When she got home, she was going to do her homework, then hop into the bath tub with scalding hot water in hopes of getting clean. As she climbed off the bus and trudged toward her house (never before had she hated the feeling of her feet touching the ground) Kori noticed a car that wasn't there that morning.
Kori: (whisper) Father?
Like her mother, Kori hadn't seen her father in years. Not since they died tragically. Now, even though it was but a human facsimile, she could see him again. She ran inside and froze. What could only be her sister was sitting on the couch. To her surprise and disbelief, there was less to her sibling's clothes then there were to her own. As soon as Kori stepped in, the black haired girl sprang up, brushing some of the purple highlighted locks from her face. She spread her arms out wide, wobbling slightly.
Cammy: Come on, Kori. Give ol' Cammy a hug, huh?
Something was definitely wrong. Still, Kori was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Besides, she never got to do this before. She gave her big sister a hug. She immediately regretted the act. Not for some surprise attack or any kind, that didn't happen. Instead she nearly passed out on Kori…and her breath smelled of heavy booze. She helped Cammy to the couch again.
Kori: C…Cammy? Are you well?
Cammy: No…god, I haven't had a fix in weeks! I barely made it here. Kori, you have to help me. …oh and Mom's out of gin.
A fix? Cammy wasn't mechanical in any fashion…or was she? Who knew in this bizarre world?
Kori: What do you need?
Cammy: I just need a little money, that's all. Damn Jack...now I know why he's called that. He just keeps jacking up his prices.
Cammy snorted in annoyance…prompting her nose to bleed. Swearing, she pinched her nose. Kori ran to the bathroom and got her some tissues. Muttering her thanks, Cammy snatched them and held them to her nose.
Cammy: Hate it when that happens.
Kori may have been ignorant concerning many things about Earth, but this wasn't one of them. She knew right away what this was. The talk of a fix…increased prices and a desperate want to get the item in question. Her sister was a drug addict. Judging from her clothes, her choice of profession was just as illegal.
Kori: Cammy…perhaps you should seek help.
Cammy: I AM seeking help! Yours!
Kori: You know what I am attempting to say.
Cammy: Why are you talking so funny?
Kori: Cammy, do not change the subject.
To Kori's shock, she began to sniffle. Tears ran down her face, making her thick make up run.
Cammy: You think I haven't tried?! You think I like being like this?! You think I enjoy being humiliated every damn night?! Do you?!
Great. Her crying was only making the blood flow faster and harder. Kori hugged her sobbing sister and rocked her back and forth, trying to calm her down. It worked and she slowly stopped shaking.
Cammy: Kori…you're the only one who still cares about me. Mom let's me in the house only because I came out of her. Other then that, she's sickened by me.
Kori: That is not true…
Cammy: Of course it is. …seriously, why are you talking like that?
Damn it. Kori had to make an effort to stop it. She was royalty after all. She was taught to speak properly and convey a sense that she was well educated. The grammar problem was simply due to translation errors. Some words on Earth had no meaning in Tamaran and vise versa. Her sister decided to discard those lessons. How she learned such good English was a question for another time. Kori would have to limit her vocabulary in order to sound normal. …in some cases, SEVERELY limit it. Ugh, she was going to sounds so stupid.
Kori: Do n…don't worry about it. Come on, let's get you cleaned up.
Nodding, Cammy allowed her sister to help her up. …despite the rather desperate and depressing situation, it was nice to have a sister that cared for once.
Asylum: Visiting Room
It didn't surprise Derek that Krystal was in the heavier security half of the asylum. It didn't' surprise him that she was in a straitjacket for the visit either. She smiled at him, her dirty blonde hair in her face. A thin line of drool escape from her lips and of course she had no way to stop it, what with her hands bound and all.
Krystal: Brother of mine! How have you been?
Derek: Good…I guess. You?
Krystal: Fantastic! They started me on this new drug today and it makes me feel like my head is underwater. It's really a unique experience. You should try some. It's called diazepam. Remember in that one game, you take the stuff so you don't shake while you use the sniper rifle? Well, if you take more then that, you feel like you're drowning but you can still breathe. It's paradox-olious. I tried to save you one by hiding it under my tongue, but the outer shell melted and it tastes like caca.
Sighing, Derek shook his head.
Derek: That's okay.
Krystal: You okay, bro? You're not your usual assholeish self.
Derek: Let's just say I've been through some changes.
Shrugging the best she could, Krystal leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes.
Krystal: You ever wonder what life really is, Derek?
Derek: All the time.
Krystal: Yeah, but have you ever committed serious thought to it? You want to know what I think?
Derek: Not really, but I'm sure you'll tell me.
Krystal giggled.
Krystal: Damn right. You see, life is just a dream. Not "but a dream" like that stupid song, but just a dream. The only real question is, what happens to everyone when the dreamer wakes up?
Derek: Curious line of thinking.
She nodded, a satisfied look on her face.
Krystal: It IS, isn't it? Welp, I'm done talking now. You can go home. Come back in two days. I'll have lots to talk about then.
With that she lowered her head and said no more.
Derek: …okay…bye, Krystal.
No response at all. Big surprise. Sighing, Derek decided to leave before he did something that got himself committed. He was sure his mother would be devastated. Sarcasm.
Rachel's House
Rachel wiped her eyes, refusing to cry. This world was so fed up! She took out her contacts and put her glasses on. The shower had gotten most of the rotten egg smell off her. Who pelts people with rotten eggs?! Who, she asks you?! At least the burning stopped. One of the eggs got her dead in the face. Her nose felt a little swollen and had bled a little from the impact. Sighing, she opened her book bag to do her homework (it too stank of rotten eggs). Rachel had just been walking home from after chess club, minding her own business when she felt something hit her book bag. Like a fool, she turned to see what it was. Why would they do that to her? What had she done to them? She pushed her glasses up. Damn things kept sliding down. No wonder she preferred contact lenses. The work wasn't hard in the least. Hell, when your job was to outsmart, outmaneuver, and generally outfight super villains, it was hard to find homework that was a challenge…unless you're Beast Boy. Then again, he'd probably do well in animal biology. …damn…she missed the green spaz. She glanced outside to make sure the sky wasn't cracking open and bleeding yet. Sighing, Rachel put her pencil down. She didn't just miss Beast Boy. She missed Cyborg and Robin…even Terra. …well…maybe not…no, she did miss Terra. Why did she ever WANT to be human? To be normal? From what she could tell, her human personality was shy and overly concerned about what other people thought, lacking her wit and cynical attitude. Other then that, they seemed to enjoy the same things. Chess, books, and…well, that was it. It was hard to tell if "Rachel" enjoyed meditation as much as "Raven" did. And yet she was tormented. I mean, pelted with rotten eggs! What the flipping hell?! …jerks. Well…it did explain the cuts on her legs though. Knife wounds. No doubt self inflicted. All the signs were there. The lack of friends, tormented in school, no attention given by the parents…that screams "cutter". The kind that want to be noticed…that cry out for attention. Sighing, Rachel got back to her homework. She'd skim through this "Rachel" girl's collection of books afterward. Maybe there's something she hasn't read in there.
Kori's House: Kori's Room
After a shower and borrowing some of her sister's clothes, Cammy started to look better. She was still frighteningly skinny though. Cammy wiped her nose.
Cammy: So…about that money…
Kori: I cann…can't do that, Cammy. That would be supporting your addiction.
Well, that seemed to upset her. She stood up from where she was sitting on Kori's bed and got in her face.
Cammy: When the hell did you start caring about me anyway?! You couldn't wait for me to move out! And now you're playing the concerned little sister? Usually you drop the cash just to get me back out of the house!
Kori's jaw dropped. This couldn't be true…but Cammy's revelations didn't stop there.
Cammy: In fact, it was because of YOU that I started in the first place! I kept trying to be a good older sister, but you just…you wouldn't LET me! I started drinking because you kept making me miserable! Ruining my chances to get into college, spreading those rumors about me having crabs, you were a horrible, horrible BRAT! So I drowned myself in alcohol to get away from it. …then when I was drunk, somebody started passing around the blow. …it made me forget all about you, so I kept using it. God, I must have been plastered out of my mind to have forgotten this before! I let you HUG me! …it ate away at my finances, leaving me broke. No college education, no way to get a job that could pay for both my alcohol and coke needs…
Cammy slumped onto the bed, crying. Kori bit her lip. X'hal, what had she done? I mean, it wasn't her, but…well, you know what I mean!
Cammy: …well…you know what I did to pay for it. But look at me…I'm a wreck. I'm a freaking bag of bones in a human shape! …nobody but the most desperate would pay for that. Or the most depraved.
Kori: I'm…I'm sorry. I really, honestly am sorry.
Cammy: Like that makes it all better. But you know what else? You know what really makes me sick?
Kori wasn't sure she wanted to know.
Cammy: I think I'm gay. …no, screw that, I know I am. I don't know if it's natural or trauma induced. I've heard that happens, usually to rape victims, but…heh. Listen to me. I must be sobering up already.
Oh, right that. Kori knew that already, that was nothing.
Kori: Look…sister, I've changed. I really have. I don't want to be that way anymore and I don't want you to have to suffer for how I once acted. Let me help.
Cammy stared into her eyes.
Cammy: I…I don't…I don't know if I can trust you.
Kori: Please…
Cammy: …you know where the rehab clinic is?
Kori: I have n…haven't a clue.
Cammy: Are you stuttering?
Kori: Sorry.
Cammy: I sometimes drive past it…thinking about going in, but I never do. I'll show you how to get there, but you have to drive. I'll never be able to do it myself.
Kori: But…I don't have a license…
Cammy: I'm still out of it. My blood level is way past legal limit. I think we'll get in less trouble if we get caught if you're driving.
Remarkable insight for someone who had drank a good amount of gin a couple of hours ago. Sighing, Kori nodded.
Kori: Very…alright.
Cammy: Very alright? Are you drunk too?
Kori: Let's just go.
Damn, it was hard talking like Earthlings! Kori wrote a note for her mother and got Cammy into her car. The drive was uneventful, save for Cammy clutching the arm rest on the passenger side door tightly now and then, causing several of her nails to break. Cammy didn't seem to notice. Kori was afraid to speed up, partly because she had never driven before and partly because she was afraid Cammy was going to try and jump out of the car. Once in the rehab center, Cammy's eyes would dart to the exit constantly as all the necessary information was given out (I have no idea what goes on in a rehab center and truly hope that the only way I find out is looking it up or volunteer work). As Kori waited and provided the moral support for her sister, she heard a familiar voice shouting from down the hall.
Voice: I can't do it! Don't you get it?! I might as well just give up!
The voice was familiar but the words didn't match. It was Robin. It HAD to be Robin. Glancing back at her sister, she saw that she was currently being talked to by one of the workers. She slipped down the hall and peered into the room the voice had come from. Hmm…odd. She thought this was a drug rehab center…yet apparently they do other forms of rehabilitation there. Derek had mentioned Richard was in a wheelchair. It seemed that he was going through rehab to get his injured legs working again. …it also seemed like he was giving up. Kori's blood boiled. This couldn't be the Richard she knew. It was an imposter, undoubtedly! Robin would never give up! Ever! …but it looked just like him. There had to be something she could do. But…
Nurse: Excuse me. Can I help you?
Kori jumped.
Kori: Er…um…well…I was just…attempting to find the restroom. Yes. That is it.
She didn't know this guy. She could talk however she wanted. The nurse pointed.
Nurse: Third door on the right.
Kori: I thank you.
She entered the room and waited. She'd leave after a while. She didn't need to go. In the meantime, she had to think about this. Real or not, it looked enough like Robin for Kori to care. She had to find some way to help him. But how?
Rachel's House: Living Room
Rachel sat on the chair, the light shining brightly as she read her book. Whoever she had become, she really needed to expand her library a little more. This collection of sixty five horror stories was one she had read before. Oh well. It was still good. She heard something at the door, the jingling of keys. She looked up at the clock. Damn, it was later then she thought. The door opened and in walked her mother, dressed in a blue business type clothes. Long skirt, tasteful blouse and so on. She blinked when she saw Rachel.
Angela: Rachel, what are you doing up? You should have been in bed hours ago. You'll be tired in school tomorrow.
Rachel: I lost track of time. Sorry.
She also didn't eat. Damn. Oh well. It wouldn't be the first time she had gone to bed without dinner. She'd just eat a bigger breakfast. Her mother shook her head disapprovingly.
Angela: You'll never get your scholarship if you go into school exhausted.
Rachel: I'm fine, Mother.
She blinked at Rachel before scowling.
Angela: Rachel, you know better then to call me that. You call me "Angela" like everyone else.
Rachel: Why? You're my mother, why can't I address you as such?
Rachel could tell the question (and the steadfast tone it was asked in) had surprised the woman.
Angela: You know why.
Rachel: I must have forgotten. Tell me.
Angela: Rachel…
Rachel: Please?
She really wanted to know. As Raven she got to see her mother once in a blue moon. Hell, she didn't meet the woman for the longest time back in Azarath. Too risky, the monks said. Even then it was encouraged that Raven didn't address her as "Mother" due to how that could make her feel. Angela sighed.
Angela: Because I never wanted you, remember? I never wanted ANY children, let alone one conceived with a knife to my throat in a dark alley.
…well, that was…wow. Okay. When put in that light, it was easy to see why she wouldn't want Rachel to call her "Mother". …but…
Rachel: Then why keep me at all? Adoption was always an option…or an abortion for that matter.
Angela: I had every intention to give you up until I saw you. Maternal instincts, I suppose. Can we drop this subject now? I need to get changed and YOU need to get to bed.
Rachel: …alright. Good night, …Angela.
And now Rachel was depressed. No wonder her mother wanted her to get a scholarship. She wanted Rachel out of the house. …she was a rape child. How disgusting. No wonder this "Rachel" had self esteem issues. Sighing, Rachel prepared for bed.
Derek's House: Derek's Room
Derek bit his lip, trying to ignore his vengeful stomach. He was well aware of the meal he had missed, he didn't need it reminding him. He wanted to go home. This wasn't right, wasn't fair. As Shade, he had escaped this hell. He was free of his wicked mother. So why was he stuck back with her again?! It was all the same. His mother was the same overly religious zealot she had been on his home planet. Always finding reasons to punish him or just plain doing it out of cruelty. His father…still ignoring the travesty that was all around him. Damn it all. Why him? He shook his head. Now wasn't the time for bitching about what couldn't be helped. It was just motivation to figure out how to get out of this. …think…think…think…THINK! …oh wait. That's right, he wasn't the one who comes up with plans. …damn it. His brain feverishly began to conceive all the possible reasons this was happening. One. They were dead and this was Hell. Two…he didn't have a two. …damn he was stupid when he was hungry. …to hell with it. He got dressed and scrounged around for cash. There had to be a fast food place around there somewhere and by god, if he had to wander around all night, he'd find it. He looked out the window. …oh, there it was. A few blocks away. Thank you large glowing sign.
END PART THREE