You know what... I just suck. I just suck a lot. At everything. Updating especially. I'm sorry. To be honest, I lost a lot of motivation this summer. Mostly because I started Legend of Korra. And I started shipping Makorra. And I started getting into that fandom. Which meant no time for BBrae, or Teen Titans for that matter. But enough with excuses. I don't know how I'm going to end this story, I really don't. It's at a great place right now and I just don't know how to make it conclusive. I might even just stop after this chapter because I have nowhere else to go. I've written what I've wanted to write, and I like what I've written, and I hope you all have too. This is kind of an odd chapter, but I just wanted to get something down for you. I know I know, I'm crap. I promise that next BBRae story I won't end it so.. oddly. Thank you for sticking with me. Here's the possibly end chapter of Stages of Love. If you have any additional conclusive ideas please leave a review. I love you.
It was raining. I had looked outside in Physics out of utter boredom to find, to my surprise, that it was raining. Hard. Thundering, even. Normally, the grey weather would have put me in a better mood, but today, I grimaced.
"Of all days?" I muttered, turning to the front again. Next to me, Kori sent me a glance and a smile.
"I'm sure he has somewhat of a back up plan." She whispered back.
"I'm sure he doesn't. I think he was planning on taking me to a park or something for a picnic." Kori rolled her eyes.
"Don't be stupid. This date means a lot for him, too. He's probably planning something else as we speak!" She did have a point, and I was about to whisper back a reluctant agreement when our teacher turned around and we stiffened back into class posture.
"Now, let's review what we've learned about Ohm's law. Would anyone care to volunteer some information?" Almost immediately, I relapsed back into a comatose state. Usually physics was interesting, but today I was too distracted to answer the simple question. A little bit of worry wriggled around in my stomach the more I thought about the upcoming date, replacing the initial excitement I felt. Worry for what, I didn't know. Things weren't awkward between us. We could do anything and have fun. He respected me. I liked him.
And still, I was nervous.
I contemplated the situation for the rest of class, brushing off the teachers' easy questions about resistance in circuits and biting my lip obsessively. When the bell rang, I wasn't in a better place than before. Kori helped me gather my books, then proceeded to talk my ear off as we walked to my locker together. I responded with the necessary "mhm" and "oh" and I thought Kori was satisfied till she closed my locker before I could grab the rest of my stuff.
"So, why do you think you're so nervous?" She asked, twirling a piece of her hair absentmindedly. I sighed and rubbed my temple.
"I don't know. I've been thinking about it all class."
"Are you scared it's gonna be awkward?"
"No."
"Are you scared you won't have places to go?"
"No."
"Are you scared of him not liking you?"
"Well, yes, but I'm always scared of that." She gave me a look.
"So you're nervous because you think you aren't good enough for him?"
"I never said that. And, as previously said, I'm always afraid of these things, so I don't know why I would be especially scared now."
"Uh, because it's your first date with him?" Kori said, taking my books from me and opening my locker. After packing things up, she turned to me and thrust my ratty backpack into my hands. "You shouldn't be nervous that he doesn't like you. Do you see the way he looks at you? The way he treats you? The way he asks you for a date even though it's Monday just because he wants to see you?" She smiled. "He chose you, Raven, and you should know that. I don't want you ruining your date because you're too nervous that he doesn't like you. I'm here to reassure you that he does. You're welcome. Now," Putting her hand on my shoulder, she turned me around and pushed me towards the exit of the school. "Go find him!" I gave her a look over my shoulder and set off walking, a small smile on my face. "Oh, and make sure to update me!" She called out. At that I let out a laugh, and burst out of the doors into the parking lot.
I immediately spotted Garfield's car and then, cursing my lack of preparedness, dashed across the plot and knocked on his windows. Garfield looked up from inside the car, quickly noting my dampening hair and unhappy expression, before hopping out of his car and running over to my side. He leaned over and opened the door for me. I gave him an odd look, then slid into his car, shaking out my wet locks whilst he closed my door came back round to the drivers side.
"You didn't have to open the door for me." I commented as he brushed droplets off of his shirt.
"I thought it would be cute." He replied, starting the ignition. "It turned out to be... wetter than I planned. A lot less blushing too." Of course at that I blushed a bit, but I turned away from him and pretended to dry my face on my jacket. With that, we turned out of the parking lot and headed down a road towards our houses. I reached over and flipped on the radio nonchalantly, and music washed over us. Breathing out, I rested my head against the headrest.
"So what's the plan?" I asked after a bit.
"Not one for suspense, are we?"
"Nope." He smiled.
"We're off to the Aquarium."
"Huh?" I said, lifting my head and turning towards him.
"What, you're opposed to the idea?" He asked, arching his eyebrow.
"Well, no, I'm just a bit surprised." I answered, sinking back into my seat.
"What were you expecting?" I shook my head.
"I don't know. Something... goofy."
"Hey, aquariums can be goofy." He said, glancing at me with a smile. "Have you seen some of those sharks?"
"Sharks?" I repeated incredulously.
"Yeah! The hammerheads look like vacuums." He replied, laughing. "Have you never been to an aquarium before?"
"I never really had a reason to go." Garfield blew out a breath of air.
"Well, I think you're going to love it."
"Let's hope so, Garfield Logan." I teased, and he laughed again before turning into another parking lot outside of a huge grey building. He killed the engine and we sat in the car for a moment, admiring the aquarium through the light drizzle of rain that still haunted us.
"I'm ready to be impressed." I deadpanned, and he smiled before hopping out of the car and walking over to open my door. Sliding out, I was just about to roll my eyes when Garfield put his hands on my lower back and pulled me into a kiss. I placed my hand on his cheek and kissed him back, and when we started to lean back into my seat, kissing more fervently, I broke away, blushing a deep crimson.
"Garfield." I scolded lightly, not really meaning anything and he knew it.
"If you're embarrassed when things like that happen, then don't kiss back like you want them to." He replied, walking towards the aquarium. I rolled my eyes, shutting my door behind me and catching up to him.
The first thing I noticed was that the aquarium was cold. A shiver ran through my body when we entered the building, and I wrapped my jacket tighter around myself and inched a little closer to Garfield as we waited in the ticket line. He chuckled and looped his arm around me.
"You'll warm up soon." He said.
"How do you know?" He gave me a dumbfounded look.
"What kind of date would I be if I let you go cold?"
"The same kind of date that keeps me out in the rain."
"To kiss you!" He cried. "You know," He said, wagging a finger. "Some girls find that romantic."
"And since when have I been some girl?" I questioned, looking up at him. He chuckled.
"Oh, come on, we're next in line."
The next hour was spent peering into glass tanks of sea creatures. Garfield knew all of the names and origins of each of the animals, and he took great care to inform me of each one. Whilst we passed a tour, he even took the time to correct one of the guide's facts, causing amazed looks from the visitors and a scowl from the employee. However, the best part of it was the glass hallway. Everywhere I looked there were fish and even sharks, sharks that looked like vacuums, swimming around and interacting and living and in that moment I wanted to break the glass and swim with them but I didn't, I couldn't, so Garfield and I just stood and watched the fish, then watched each other, with that weird blue pallor on our skins, and we kissed and I concluded that he was right, I did love the aquarium. I told him this later on the car, and he smiled something smug and I warned him not to say "I told you so", and he didn't, but I knew he thought it. And when we pulled up to my house later that evening, and he got out of his car to open my door, I looked at him and knew that I had something very lucky. I told him this too, and he didn't say anything either, he just looked at me back and took my hand and then we didn't really need to say anything at all.