Chapter One
"Okay Mom."
Her voice was very monotone, it was how she always dealt with her mother, keep your head down and hope to god that the angry rapid animal didn't attack you. She rolled her eyes, grabbing her back pack that was on the passenger floorboard. She did her best to "fix her face"(before mother dearest would fix it for her)putting a neutral look on her face as she exited the aggressive woman's vehicle, leaving the incessant bitching behind her. And sometimes even if she did her best not to engage in the fighting there always seemed to be another trigger for her mothers anger.
It was the best way to deal. It was the best way to survive. To just not react to her.
As Raven made her way towards the middle of the school yard, she turned her head, making sure that her abuser had actually left instead of following her.
She swung her backpack around looking for the pencil sharpener that contained the Xanax that she had promised Ivy. Upon finding it she placed it into the left pocket of her black, zip up hoodie. Oh surprised her hoodie is black? So is everything else she wore, nearly all the time she wore the same thing over and over. Never one to bring attention to herself if she could help it. Especially after last years incident where the "freak emo bitch" tried to kill herself. (Wearing all black probably didn't help in hindsight)
Coming to the middle of the court yard she sat on the brick base of the monument, looking around, waiting for Gabriel, Xavier, and the rest of the "wolf pack" to show up. Lycans. Whatever they wanted to call themselves.
Were they weird? Oh fuck yeah, but they made her feel less weird and that's all she wanted to begin with. (talk about bare minimum, huh?) Of course Gabriel was always the first to show up, He always seemed to show up first, Then Xavier and Michael, then slowly the rest of them followed suit showing up minutes after each other.
Nodding her head as a gesture of hello to Gabriel, She bowed her head slightly to the side her copper red-orange waves falling over her shoulder. What they considered respect, she was doing out of mockery, He never quite seemed to pick that up though.
Gabriel, you see, fancied himself the leader of the lycans. It was never said, but it was heavily implied. Regardless she felt no allegiance to him, just a friendly banter that they seemed to have going on as always.
"Hello." Gabriel muttered softly, tipping his head and bowing it slightly to the side just as she had.
"Hello, Gabriel." She replied lifting her head straight back to its proper place.
"Here early as always I presume?" His inquiry always seemed to be like more of a accusation than an actual question.
"I know its like I'm trying to be here more and home less right? But I assure you that is never the case." She said in a sarcastic tone that she knew Gabriel would pick up on immediately. "I mean you met my mom right? Wasn't she just SO great to deal with?"
A soft chuckle left his lips, a hint of a smile appearing on the left side of his lips. "Well, the interaction definitely my idea of a good time, forcing marriage at such a young age?" he shook her head his black hair going across his face softly before he moved it back to its proper place on the side of his left temple. "Terrible parenting if you ask me. Wolves don't act in such a manner."
She scoffed and rolled her eyes at his statement, "Wolves. Right." She stood up and mocking waved her hands in the air. 'ooooh wolves, scary.'
Gabriel's slight smiled on the same side of his face as he did before, as if he knew a secret that she did not.
Without warning something, or more like someone smacked right into her back wrapping their arms around her. For a slight second there was a moment of panic, but slightly after it clicked who it was. Especially after the hands covered her eyes, and a very feminine voice trying to be masculine spoke. "Guess who?"
Raven smirked and made a humming noise as if she were really thinking. "Well, it definitely can't be Ivy." She said reaching back and softly pinching the soft part of her tummy, which was WAY smaller than what she remembered.
Pinching Ivy's belly gave her the reaction that she wanted, the soft girl immediately pulled away from her, a soft gasp and then giggle left her lips.
Raven pulled Ivy towards her and wrapped her arms around her in a big hug, "I missed you!" She said excited, to have her best friend around again once again.
"I know I missed you too! I was really worried since I didn't hear from you after your mom kicked you out!" She pulled away from the hug and pouted slightly.
A nervous laugh left the red-haired girls' lips, "yeah, it definitely wasn't the best situation. I survived though!" She said, making light of the situation.
"Oh hey!" She started, trying to change the subject," So like I know I totally told you before summer that I would get you the Xanax, and I know its like super fucking late, buuuutttt" She drew out the 'but' until she pulled out the pencil shaver that had the Xanax she had promised Ivy.
"Oh!" Ivy immediately grabbed the pencil shaver and shoved it into her pocket. "I'm gonna be honest, I forgot I had even asked until now." She said, swinging her backpack off and placing it on the brick that Raven had just been sitting on previously. Opening the backpack and shoving the pencil sharpener into the very bottom of it. "Thanks, dude."
"Yeah of course, no problem."
As the morning continued, it was not very eventful. One by one the usual crew showed up, all surrounding the middle of the courtyard. Conversation slowly got louder as it always did. The two girls chattering away like they always did.
As Ivy's attention was drawn away as her other friends showed up, Raven sat on the brick monument as she always did. Watching the others interact, laughing when one of the groups near her said something funny, responding as she was supposed to.
(Raven's Pov)
Sitting here, its so nice, to be around people who don't make me feel terrible all the time. I shook my head, pretending that the thought hadn't even crossed my mind. To distract myself from all of the thoughts that always seemed to linger, I looked around, watching all of the people who were showing up. We get the 8th graders from last year as freshman this year.
'Yeah, yeah, yeah.' My inner monologue started, 'you know damn well who you're looking for, don't sit there and act like you're excited for all the NEW people who will be flooding the school.'
I sighed heavily, annoyed with myself for calling me out. A memory coming to mind of seeing him, and that just maybe. We could be friends again.
The next time my eyes were scanning the courtyard, they immediately found who they were looking for.
'Jareth.' It was like my mind had called out to him, but in the midst of him laughing as he stood between Vivian, and another incoming freshman that I didn't know. He turned to me, his face going from his joking behavior to a softer smile, his hand coming up for a quick wave before turning back to joking with his friends.
My body immediately felt flush, and warm, without thinking I stood up and made my way to him and, well if nothing at least I knew Vivian right? We were still friends, and it wouldn't be weird for me to go up to her right?
"Vivian!" I called out, once she looked over I started to jog over to her rather than walk.
"Hey!" she called out stopping and waiting for me, and as she did, Jareth continued forward for a moment before being slowed down and then stopped by her hand. Holding on to his hand.
For a moment a split moment, I felt my heart palpitate. Oh.
I forced myself to look away from their joint hands, avoiding making eye contact with him. "How have you been!" I asked, the part of me that asked genuinely excited to have another person to talk to.
"Good! And you? I've missed you!" she said initiating a very awkward side hug since she was at least 8 inches taller than me. It wasn't easy being five-foot-nothing.
"I've been okay." I said, answering as honestly as I could without lying. "Are you going to get breakfast?" I asked motioning towards the cafeteria, as she started walking again the others continued as well.
"Yeah, I'm like super hungry today and I don't know why." She said, "You want to come with us?" she asked.
"yeah dude of course." I Said falling into step behind them, my eyes going to the joint hands that were swinging between them. "So how long have you been dating?" I asked, as soon as the words left my lips I could visibly see Jareth stiffen at the question. Strange.
Looking back up to Vivian who was smiling happily over the question, "We've been together for a couple of months now, its about time right? We have been friends for so long. We had to be meant to be." She exclaimed happily. Jareth moved to open the door for everyone, the unknown freshman went in first, after it was Vivian. As I went in I looked over towards him.
My mind racing, okay come on Raven. Be normal.
NORMAL. THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN NORMAL. The inner voice in my head screamed.
"So, like is it weird dating someone whose like half a foot taller than you?" I smirked, hoping our friendship would just… come naturally like it did before.
Yes, bully him about his girlfriend. Great way to try and get him to be your friend again. My inner voice chastised.
He met my gaze and smirked, "I bet you think you're so funny huh."
"Hilarious." I replied, meeting his gaze, and forgetting for a moment that I was supposed to be here for Vivian. Not him. Did that stop me?
No because you're stupid.
Hearing Vivian's voice continue our conversation is what snapped me out of it. "Wait so what happened to Jerik?" I said, walking slightly faster to catch up with her again.
"Oh. He moved back to California; it just wasn't working out. The whole long-distance thing."
"Oh… I see." I looked back towards Jareth who had fallen behind us, he was heading for an empty table at the corner of the cafeteria. "Hey, I'm going to go sit with Jareth, I don't really eat breakfast, so I'll just wait with him for you guys." I said pointing my thumb back towards him as I stopped walking, she looked back towards me then to him for a moment before shrugging and waving me off without a word.
Ok, kinda rude.
As I headed back for the table Jareth was getting ready to sit at, I watched as he methodically he sat in the corner closest to the wall. I grabbed the chair directly across from him at the table. He looked up at me for a moment, "What? You going to bully be some more?"
"I mean I do have like a year and a half of teasing to make up for." I said before tentatively starting my next sentence, " So you and Vivian huh?" I saw how fast his face tensed up and carefully decided where to go next from here. Which obviously meant teasing him about the situation some more.
"Oooh, Should I avoid asking about your girlfriend then?" I teased, putting my elbow on the table and resting my face on my hand. "I mean I don't want you to stop talking to me again for no reason for a year and a half." I knew that was more of a jab in the ribs than playful teasing but, to be honest. I missed him and not having him as a friend made my soul sad.
He stared at me again, this time his eyes were hard and cold, unyielding. Funny, they reminded me snakes' eyes. Meant to intimidate, but I was not one to be intimidated. Well, not here, not by him, anyway. I met his Dark Green hazel stare with dark blue eyes, that held nothing other than conviction.
"So if we're having a staring contest, I hate to say this, but I think I'm gonna win this one." I said confidently.
"Why do you say…" before he could finish his sentence, I kicked his knee under the table. "Ow!" he exclaimed, forcing him to break the eye contact.
"I win."
"First off. That's cheating."
"Winner makes the rules." I said, crossing my leg on top of the other.
He stared at me again with contempt.
"Oh are you trying to start a rematch?" I smirked as I spoke, inspecting my nails and cuticles. "Sorry, I don't do rematches."
"YEAH BECAUSE YOU'RE A CHEATER." His voice level raising.
"Consider it pay back." I shrugged.
"oooh, little girl." He said in a threatening tone.
Glancing over at him I smirked at him again and started laughing at how serious his face was, I don't know if he started to chuckle because I was or because… well I like to think it's because my laughter's contagious.
"I like your hair; it looks good dark like that." I said, talking myself out of reaching my hand out to touch his dark purplish-black hair.
"Thanks." He said awkwardly running his hands through his longish hair, obviously uncomfortable with the compliment.
Right at that moment Vivian and the unknown freshman sat down, laughing about who knows what.
Soon after the bell rang, I closed my eyes at the sudden loud noise that pierced my ears.
MMM, gotta love that annoying loud bell.
When I opened my eyes, they glanced over to Jareth momentarily seeing that he had a similar reaction to the bell. Funny.
"Alright I'll see you guys later then, I still have to pick up my schedule." I said getting up and pushing the chair back into its proper place.