4. Obsession
Disclaimer: I don't own the song or the Titans.
"Just thinking 'bout you baby got me twisted in the head. And I don't know how to take it, but it's driving me so crazy. I don't know if it's right; I'm tossing turning in my bed. It's 5 o'clock in the morning, and I still can't sleep. Thinking 'bout your beauty it makes me weep." – Frankie J
"Argh," Speedy growled and pulled the covers over his head. He sighed and rolled over to find his phone. He clicked the home button and discovered that it was 4:37 in the A.M. He had been tossing and turning and sleeping on and off all night. He kept replaying that scene from the café over and over in his head. However, for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why the only thing his mind was focusing on was Raven. And her beautiful, innocent face. As he tortured Robin, she looked at him with so much dislike and annoyance. The moment he told them what Kitten had said the Saturday before, he caught a flicker of hurt in her eyes. He knew Kitten had been lying as she always did, but he always put up with it because he liked the tightness of her butt and the way she screamed his name. He enjoyed watching Robin squirm, but the moment he felt the sadness radiating from his newfound crush, he regretted it. Yet, he didn't take it back. He knew that would be against his character, and they would all suspect something.
"She probably thinks I'm an animal," he groaned to himself and sat up straight in his queen-sized bed. His bare chest was heaving up and down fast with anxiety. He fell back on the mattress and closed his eyes, but sleep just wouldn't find him, especially after—
"Oh, yeah!" he heard his mom moan sensually.
'I guess Mom's finally home,' he thought to himself and covered his ears. This was nothing new for him. He'd realized where he'd gotten his sexual promiscuity from long ago. However, he knew his mother did it just for fun, but he wasn't so sure about himself. She was always bringing various men home at different hours of the night. But he couldn't tell if he did it just because he really liked being inside of a girl or because it was a way out of reality.
Roy had always been the poorest one of his friends. He lived on a different side of town in a small, creaky, two story home with only one bathroom and no extra bedrooms. He rode the bus to school while all the other seniors and juniors drove. Wally usually brought him home if he could. His mom was always either working or picking up guys, and his father had perished years ago in a car accident. That's why track was his life. He had to get a scholarship to Steel University or he didn't know what he was going to be doing with his life after graduation.
"Ugh!" he groaned again and knocked his head on the headboard. Today was going to be a long day.
"Where's Speedy?" Raven tried to say as nonchalantly as possible. She didn't want her other two partners to think she cared that he was missing. It was seventh period, and Mr. Mod had allowed the class to go to the library to work on their projects. Each group sat at their own respective table, and it just so happened Robin's group's table was right next to them. She couldn't help but notice he and Starfire were really enjoying each other's company. Whenever Kori laughed at something Gar said, she'd put a hand on Robin's shoulder, and he'd turn the color of her hair.
Kid Flash sighed, put his elbow on the table, and his chin in his palm. "We all know Speedy's probably somewhere in the janitor's closet with a naïve freshman. Of course he doesn't care about us or our grades." He casually placed his head inside his arms on top of the table. Raven and Jinx began to think that sometimes Speedy even got on his own best friend's nerves.
"Sorry, I'm late guys," Speedy hectically rushed in and threw his backpack on the table. His sunny hair was disheveled and his sporty clothes were beyond wrinkled. Even his red Converses were untied. "I fell asleep in sixth period, and no decent human being decided to wake me up when the bell rang."
They all looked at him doubtfully with aggravated pink, violet, and blue eyes. "Yeah…right," Jinx exhaled and tapped her fingers impatiently on the wood.
Speedy narrowed his eyes and started, "Don't—"
"Wally, can you tell your friend not to be an asshole today? You know, ask him to be more charming like you." Jinx looked at her crush-since-Monday who was blushing candy apple red. She felt a rush go through her body, surprised that she was able to make him do that. He was even cuter when he was red-faced. It brought out his deep blue eyes more.
On the other side of the table, Speedy was frowning, but it wasn't an angry or even frustrated frown. It was almost sort of a disheartened or mortified frown. Raven was the only one who picked up on it as the lightning bolt and sorceress got lost in each other's eyes. Yet, she couldn't find the words to say, so she just watched him in deep thought.
'Does everyone really think I'm that much of an a-hole?' Roy's heart shivered. Was he really that bad? He couldn't be. He just liked making people laugh and making himself feel good, but in the end he just came out looking like a conceited manwhore.
"We forgive you, Roy," Raven snapped everybody back into reality. "Even if you were really in the janitor's closet. Jinx, did you finish the script?"
"No, guys, I'm serious," Speedy blurted before Jinx could answer. "I didn't get any sleep last night."
"Oh wow. You either?" Wally enquired sarcastically and cut his eyes at the library window.
"What is your problem, Wally?" Speedy grunted. Who was being the butthole now? "Either you're Tigger, bouncing around all happy and hyper or just being a hard dick with no cunt to poke. You bipolar or something?" They all wriggled under his dirty words. Vocabulary like that always made it obvious that Speedy was used to a different way of life than theirs.
They don't know exactly what possessed him to do it, but sooner or later Kid Flash's hand was sliding across his own face in a slap. He looked at his friend apologetically and stated, "My bad, Speeds. I didn't get much sleep either thanks to my thoughts of this beauty right here."
Raven couldn't tell if she was disgusted by Wally's extra cheesiness or happy that someone actually liked Jinx for being Jinx. Either way, she watched it all in amusement. Speedy shook his head, frustrated that he couldn't reveal the source of his sleeplessness. He still felt as if she probably hated him, and he was scared to ask her straight up if she actually did.
"You guys wanna read the scripts? I think we should probably pick up props and costumes tonight." Jinx handed a copy of the script to each of them. They all read silently. Kid Flash seemed amused while Raven looked disturbed, and Speedy's face formed a small smile. Their characters were definitely the modern day Romeo and Juliet.
"Where did these God awful names come from?" Raven deadpanned. "And do I really have to say I love him and kiss him?"
Jinx hmphed and explained, "I picked the name Roman, because his dad is the priest of a Roman Catholic Church. I got Julia from Julia Roberts who played a prostitute, much like your character, in Pretty Woman. And—"
"And, yes, you have to confess your love to me while simultaneously French kissing me," Speedy said coolly, clearly back to his normal self. "It's Romeo and Juliet; you kind of have to be overdramatic, Gem."
Raven clenched her teeth, trying her best not to pierce them through Roy's skin out of anger. "Stop calling me Gem!"
"Okay, Gem."
"Ugh! I—"
"Um, I think you meant Roman and Julia, Speedy," Kid Flash ended their confrontation with a chuckle and placed an arm around an unexpected Jinx.
"Oh, yeah," Speedy smirked and casually placed his arm around Raven like it was normal, trying to mimic the bright haired couple across from them. Unsurprisingly, Raven smacked it off as fast as she could, even though she sort of liked the feeling. Being arounds boys was so confusing at times, especially when more than one of them had a special effect on you.
Jinx all of a sudden grew an evil grin on her face. "You know, originally, I thought we should all go find your costumes and stuff together. Now," she tapped her fingers, "I'm thinking KF and I should go shop for props while you two go shop for your costumes."
Without warning, Kid Flash removed his arm from her shoulder excitedly, making her miss his warm touch. "Yeah! Matter of fact, since the acting portion is such a big percentage of our grades, you guys need to do some bonding. We can start recording next Monday and wrap it up by Wednesday!"
"That gives you guys the rest of the week to learn to get along."
Speedy and Raven looked at Jinx and Wally with blank faces. Them, bonding? That was going to be a difficult challenge. However, the two non-actors couldn't help but smile as Speedy's face morphed into a sly grin and Raven's into a small smirk.
'This is going to be fun,' they thought.
The setting sun was still beaming hard when they arrived to the mall after Speedy's track practice. Neither of them really wanted to get out the car, but Roy was excited for this outing. He'd never been alone with Raven, and after she'd been on his mind all night, this was a great way to end the day, especially after a hardcore day at practice. He hopped out the car a millisecond after she parked and swaggered over to her door. He opened it and smirked with his arms folded.
"Wow," Raven said sarcastically, "and I thought chivalry was dead."
Speedy watched as she gracefully stepped out of the car with her black, combat boots. Today she was wearing black skinny jeans and a baggy, blue hoodie. She always dressed casual and comfy.
"It is. I'm just one of a kind," he mouthed confidently. Then, Raven did the most wonderful thing in Speedy's eyes. She smiled, and enormously, too. His eyes grew the size of her tires.
"That was actually funny, Sunny D." And with that, she began walking towards the mall, her mid-back length, violet hair flying in the breeze. Speedy stood behind, dumbfounded. "You coming or what?"
When they got inside, Speedy had the most brilliant idea. "I got an idea!" he exclaimed and stopped in his tracks in the middle of the food court.
"Yippee." Raven rolled her eyes and continued walking.
He caught up with her again and asked, "This is supposed to be a bonding thing, right?" Raven shook her head up and down, signaling him to continue. "Well, how about I pick your outfits and you pick mine? Gives us a chance to get to know each other's style."
Raven stared at him for a minute, thinking, and then came up with a simple answer, "No."
"Aww, come on, Gem. It'll be fun," he practically got on his knees and begged, but of course the pretty boy wouldn't actually get on the floor and dirty up his sweatpants.
Raven chuckled inside, but didn't dare show her amusement on the outside. "Only if you stop calling me, Gem."
Speedy gave her his signature sneaky grin and mocked, "Okay, Beautiful." Raven turned redder than she ever imagined she could and put on her hood to hide her face.
"Where to first?" she mumbled rhetorically, but he still picked up on it.
He put his fist under his chin as if he was pondering, but he had been thinking of the store the moment Jinx said something about finding costumes. "How about that new store, 50 Shades of Sexy?" Raven glared at him, but began walking towards the fairly new store with her hood still covering her head. Speedy rubbed his hands together deviously and walked beside her.
"Have you lost your mind?" Raven growled as Speedy threw a black, strapless, bandage dress at her. She threw it back and smacked him in the nose.
He picked the mini dress off the ground and let out a cackle, "What's wrong, Rae? At least I picked black, right?"
"It's too tight! It'll show every curve on my body!"
"That's kind of the point, Raven. You're supposed to be a slut," Speedy sighed at the prudish girl.
"I don't do dresses," she roared once again.
Speedy put his hands up in defense. He placed the dress back on the rack and walked around the store, searching for the next best thing. "I think I might've found something better." Raven looked up from the floor to see him holding denim, cutoff shorts and a sleeveless, white crop top.
"I—"
Before she could protest, he argued, "It's supposed to be like Pretty Woman, huh? You can wear fishnets, black thigh high boots, and a big red jacket."
"I—"
"Maybe one of my big red jackets." He winked and said, "So, what do you say?"
Raven scratched the back of her neck under her hair and mumbled, "I don't know. I have to try it on first." Speedy practically threw the outfit at her and pushed her to the dressing room.
Raven slowly locked the door and glanced at herself in the mirror. Did she always look so dark and frumpy?
'And plain,' she thought and let her head down. She knew he would want to see her in the new outfit, and she would be nearly naked in it. She was actually nervous about him seeing the body she often hid under baggy clothes.
"You know, time is money," Speedy bossed on the other side of the door. She could see his track cleats tapping rapidly. "Don't make me look under there."
"That's fine. If you're prepared to be castrated," Raven joked dryly. "And I don't think your groupies will like that."
"I don't have groupies!" he challenged. Even he knew he was lying. Raven just ignored him and slipped out of her clothes and into the more revealing ones. She looked at herself in the mirror and took a deep breath before she slowly opened the door.
"Damn," Speedy mumbled almost inaudibly. He let his arms fall to his side as he gawked at the beauty. He'd never noticed how round and perky her breasts were and how flat of a tummy she had. Even more surprisingly, she had a Jennifer Lopez behind. Plump and real.
"Say something!" she cried out. She was starting to feel like the whole world was staring at her, and it was making her anxious. She didn't want to break out a sweat in clothes she hadn't even paid for yet.
"I'm honestly speechless," he whispered truthfully.
"It's that bad," she mumbled, then said angrily, "I knew I shouldn't have let you chose." She tried to open the door, but Speedy immediately placed his hand on it and slammed it shut.
"No, Raven. You look amazing," he assured her. He was literally in awe. "Why do you hide under all that fabric? It downplays everything about you. Personality and all."
Raven closed her eyes, embarrassed but in a good way. "I-I don't know. I just don't feel sexy or attractive." The last and basically only person to tell her she was pretty or sexy was ironically the duo's best friend, Wally.*
Speedy gave her a toothy grin and then leered, "Well, I'm here to tell you, you are. I'm going to help you find your confidence."
Raven folded her arms over her full chest and said in her usual sarcasm, "And how are you going to do that? By turning me into a slut?"
"No, Silly. You'll just have to watch and see."
"Yay…"
He turned his lip up at his new favorite friend. "So, that's a yes for the Pretty Woman outfit?" Raven gave him a small assuring smile. "Great! Take it off, so we can pay for it, and turn the challenge over to you."
"I actually look pretty good as a church boy." Speedy cockily admired himself in the long mirror outside the dressing room. He was sporting a crisp, white button down decorated with a vivid red bowtie and a pair of perfectly ironed, khaki slacks. He took out a comb from nowhere to neaten his fiery hair and made kissy faces at himself.
"Okay, Arnold Schwarze-loser. Can we leave now?" Raven called from the bench outside the dressing area.
He turned around and flashed her an award-winning smile. "Tell me I look good and we can leave."
Raven sighed with an eye roll. "Get over yourself, Roy."
Speedy wiggled his eyebrows and teased, "You know you want to."
"O.M.G. you're so good looking," Raven voiced in the most cartoonish voice she could manage. She sounded like a valley girl on cocaine.
Speedy froze his eyebrows and eyed her funnily. Then, within seconds, broke out in laughter. He slipped back inside the dressing room and eyed the tags of the outfit. He was thankful Wally had slipped him his credit card, because without it he definitely wouldn't be able to afford the hefty prices of the fancy store. He didn't think he'd ever get over that shame. He slipped back into his practice top and joggers and motioned for Raven to follow him to the cash register.
"May I see your ID, Sir?" The snooty, blonde cashier uttered almost robotically. Speedy gulped as he took his license out his wallet and showed it to the clerk. He knew what that usually meant. "I'm sorry, Sir, but it has to be your name on the credit card."
Speedy dropped his head as she handed him back the card causing his whole vibe to instantly change. Raven eyed the Visa as he placed it back in his wallet. She noticed it read 'Wallace R. West'. She looked up at the redhead with a heavy heart. She'd never seen him so sad or defeated.
He grabbed her hand and tried to pull her along. "Come on," he slurred.
"Where are we going?" Raven stopped in her place. "You have to get your clothes."
"I can't afford $200 worth of clothes. Not to mention we still have to get shoes," he reasoned. She could tell he was highly humiliated and didn't even want to look her in her face.
"Speedy, I'll pay for it." She placed her hand on his broad shoulder, causing him to look her in her eyes. "It's no problem."
Once again, he was speechless and more than grateful for her kindness. He allowed a small smile to creep on his face. "Okay."
Raven smiled back and swiped her card for the clothes. "How does it feel to have the woman paying for your clothes?" The blonde girl croaked. "Shouldn't it be the other way around?"
Speedy could feel his blood bubbling. Why were some people so set on bringing others down? "You know it's not our fault you're over 40 working in the mall. You don't have to be a bit—" Raven grabbed the bags and his hand before he said anything vulgar and dragged him out the store.
"Why'd you do that? She needed a good smack into reality." He folded his arms, annoyed. He looked down at the petite girl and remembered the nice deed she'd just performed for him. "Thank you so much, Raven. You didn't have to do that." He hated feeling like a charity case, but he appreciated her kindness.
"I wanted to, Roy," she guaranteed, "but why did you have Wally's card and not your own?"
Speedy took a deep breath and figured he might as well tell her. "Raven, my family's not as wealthy as you and Wally's families. Matter fact, I don't really have a family. It's just me and my mom. Wally helps me out when he can. He's really a great friend." Now, she understood exactly why he was so embarrassed. He didn't want her to know he was less fortunate than her and her family. That only made her like him more. He actually cared about what she thought.
"That's nothing to be ashamed of."
Speedy put his arm around her for the second time that day and stated, "Most people think you're either creepy or evil, but, honestly, you're not that bad, Gem."
Raven blushed and chuckled on the inside once again. Surprisingly, this time she didn't push his arm off her. "And you're not that bad either, Sunny D."
I still think it's kind of boring at this point, but more entertaining parts (IMO) are coming. I'm going to start updating quicker, because I do already have a lot of the chapters written. I just always forget to upload them lol Also maybe I'll eventually change the rating to M. I can't tell if I need to lol Anyway, thanks to all my readers and a special thanks to Rae and Sisternature365 for reviewing. I really appreciate it.
XOXO,
RT