Chapter 18

Saturday, March 16

5:00pm

Logan walks down the hallway of bedrooms and stops outside Raven's room. He knocks on her door.

"Hey Rae," Logan calls. "It's me."

"Come in," Raven replies. Logan opens her door and walks inside. She sets her brush down on her dresser then turns to Logan. "Hey," she says.

"Hey. Ready for the party?"

"As I'll ever be. Why do we have to have a party?"

"St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow. We always have a party."

"But why?"

"Really it's just an excuse for all of us to get together. We get to see our friends that we don't see very often. And we're hosting this year so we don't have to go anywhere."

"I wish weren't even having the party."

"It will give you a chance to catch up with Toni, Kole, and Jenny."

"I don't have anything to share with them."

"I'm sure you guys will find something to talk about."

"I guess." Raven is about to walk out of her room when Logan stops her.

"Wait," Logan says. Raven turns around. "You aren't wearing any green."

"So?" Raven says.

"So if you don't wear green, you'll get pinched."

"You better not pinch me."

"I'm not that stupid. Can't say the same for anyone else."

"I don't have anything green."

"Really? Nothing?"

"Nope."

"You can wear something of mine. T-shirt, sweatshirt."

"If I do that then everyone will ask why I'm wearing your shirt."

"So say it's because you don't have anything green."

"Then they'll wonder why I didn't borrow something from Kori."

"You two wear different sizes."

"And we don't?"

"Okay, I get it. Um…I think I have some green socks. You could wear those."

"Are they clean?"

"You think I would offer you dirty socks?" Raven just looks at him. "Yes they are clean. I'll go grab them for you." Logan walks out of Raven's room to his and grabs the socks then goes back to Raven's room. Here you go." He hands the socks to Raven, which she takes.

"I really don't need to wear something green. I can just glare and threaten anyone who tries to pinch me and they'll back off."

"You really think that will stop Roy? Or Jenny? It won't matter if you threaten them. They'll still pinch you."

"Whatever." Raven puts the socks on then stands up. "Let's get this over with." They both walk out of her room toward the elevator. Logan grabs Raven's hand and interlaces their fingers. They take the elevator down to the living room. Before the doors open, Logan kisses Raven's cheek then lets go of her hand. They walk into the living room where Kori, Dick, Bee, Victor, and two of their friends Wally and Jenny are.

"Hey guys," Bee says.

"Hey Bee," Logan says. He goes over to the group and Raven slowly follows. "Hey Wally, Jenny."

"Sup Logan?" Wally says. "Figured you would've already been down here."

"I was convincing Raven to come down here. She didn't want to see you guys."

"Really Raven?" Jenny says. "You didn't want to see me?"

"I never said I didn't want to see you guys," Raven says. She walks over to the group, and hits Logan. "I said I didn't want to attend the party."

"That hurt," Logan complains, holding his arm.

"Good," Raven says. She turns to Wally and Jenny. "How are you two?"

"We're good," Jenny says. "Just got my hair done again. The pink was fading so I had to get it touched up."

"She always has to have it be bright," Wally says.

"And you love it," Jenny says. Wally grins and kisses her.

"And that's my cue to leave," Raven says. She turns and starts walking to the kitchen. Jenny and Wally break apart.

"You're gonna walk away just because we're kissing?" Jenny asks. Raven turns back around.

"Yes," she replies. "I don't want to watch you or anybody else kissing. You can do that when I'm not around."

"Oh come on Raven," Jenny says. "It's just a little kiss. I'm sure if you had a boyfriend, you'd kiss him in front of us."
"You'd be wrong."

"He would kiss you then."

"Not if I didn't want him to, he wouldn't."

"Are you going to make him sign a contract saying he can't kiss you in front of others?"

"No, but I would want him to respect me. If I told him I didn't want to kiss in public because I don't like PDA, I would expect him to respect that."

"One of the best things about having a boyfriend is that he surprises you with kisses."

"We have differing opinions on that."

"So basically we will never know if you have a boyfriend or not because you won't kiss or hug in public?"

"If I want you to know, then you will know."

"So we'll never know. How about you Logan? Would you show off your girlfriend?"

"Well I wouldn't hide her away," Logan says. "I'm guessing you want to know if I would kiss my girlfriend in public. Yes I would."

"Even if she didn't like PDA?"

"Not everyone is looking at you all the time when you're in public. There's times when you can still sneak in a kiss."

"See Raven? You're the only one against this. Everyone else kisses in public."

"Great," Raven says. "Now can we move on to a different topic?" Before anyone can say anything, the door opens and Kole, Joey, Roy, and Garth walk in. Kori hurries over to them to hug them all.

"Hello friends," Kori says. "I'm so glad you could make it."

"I would never miss a party," Roy says.

"Yeah, he would miss out on embarrassing himself in front of girls," Garth says.

"I don't embarrass myself," Roy replies. "I let the girls know what they're missing out on."

"They must be so lucky," Raven says drily.

"Of course they are," Roy replies. "Who wouldn't want to be with me?"

"Anyone who actually knows you," Bee says. The others laugh.

"I'm offended," Roy says.

"You'll get over it," Bee says. She turns to Kole and Joey. "How are you two? I heard you two recently started dating."

Kole blushes. "Yeah, we've been dating for about a month now. Things are good. How are things with you and Victor?"

"They're good. I'm finishing up school in Steel City then I'm hoping to get a job here in Jump City and move in here with Vic."

"When do you graduate?"

"I'll be done this May."

"That's great. Have you started applying for jobs yet?"

"I've started to. I have an interview next week for one job."

"That's awesome. I hope it goes well."

"Thanks. Me too." Everyone else shows up in the next fifteen minutes. They all fill plates with food and talk with each other, catching up. Around 6:30, Roy and Garth get everyone to play Truth or Dare, some of them reluctantly. They all sit in a circle in the living room, some on the couch and chairs and others on the floor, with a bottle in the middle of the group to decide whose turn it is. Roy spins first and it lands on Jenny.

"Oh great," Jenny mumbles. Roy smirks at her.

"Truth or dare?" Roy asks.

"Neither is a good option with you," Jenny says. "Truth."

"When did you and Wally start having sex? Before or after you started dating?"

"Before, but it was only once," Jenny says. "We started dating shortly after that." Jenny spins the bottle. It lands on Kori. "Truth or dare, Kori?"

"I will choose the dare," Kori says.

"I dare you to eat a spoonful of one of the condiments on the table," Jenny says. "You can choose which condiment."

"I will choose the mustard," Kori says. She grabs a spoon from the kitchen and the mustard from the table. She fills the spoon with mustard then eats it. "Most delicious." She puts the mustard back then sits back down. She spins the bottle and it lands on Raven. "Friend Raven, do you choose the truth or the dare?"

"Truth," Raven says.

"What is your favorite gift you have ever received?" Kori asks. "It could have been for Christmas or your birthday or any occasion."

"I got tickets to see my favorite musical at the Performing Arts Center for my birthday," Raven says.

"Who gave you that gift and why is it your favorite?" Bee asks.

"That wasn't a part of the original question," Raven says. She spins the bottle and it lands on Joey. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth," Joey says.

"What did you do on your first date with Kole?" Raven asks.

"We went ice skating then I took her to dinner at her favorite restaurant then we went to the movie theater to see Beauty and the Beast," Joey says.

"Aww that's so sweet," Bee says. The game continues on. When it is Garth's turn, he spins the bottle and it lands on Logan.

"Truth or dare, Logan?" Garth asks.

"Dare," Logan replies.

"I dare you to spin the bottle and kiss whoever it lands on," Garth says. "Then whoever you kiss has to sit on your lap for the rest of the game."

"Fine but girls only," Logan says.

"Okay," Garth says. All of the guys move out of the circle. Logan spins the bottle and it lands on Raven.

"Ooh, you have to kiss Raven," Jenny says.

"Can I say no?" Raven asks.

"No," Garth says. "It's not your dare."

"At least I don't have to kiss someone whose boyfriend is in this room," Logan says. He stands up from his spot on the floor and goes over to wear Raven is sitting on the couch. He pulls her up so she is standing in front of him then leans in and kisses her cheek. He then sits on the couch where she was and pulls her down to sit on his lap. "Are you guys going to rejoin the circle and continue the game?" Logan asks, looking at the guys.

"You two didn't even kiss," Roy says.

"I kissed Raven's cheek," Logan says. "Garth dared me to kiss whoever the bottle landed on and I did that. He never said that I had to kiss her on the mouth or that she had to kiss me back. So the dare has been completed." Logan spins the bottle and it lands on Toni. "Toni, truth or dare?" The game continues for another 30 minutes. Raven gets off of Logan and goes to the kitchen to get a drink. Garth is setting up a karaoke machine and Roy goes down to the garage. When he comes back up, he is carrying a cooler in one hand and a bag in the other.

"What's in the cooler?" Kole asks Roy.

"Karaoke is fun," Roy says, "but it's much better when everyone is drinking." He opens up the cooler. "There's beer and malt beverages in the cooler. And if you want something a little stronger," he pulls out several bottles from the bag, "there's vodka, rum, and Crown. I have club soda, cranberry juice, and orange juice for mixers. Or there's the pop you can use to mix drinks as well, and I have apple schnapps as well."

"But not all of us are 21," Kole says. "Only you, Victor, and Bee are."

"It's fine," Roy says. "We're not going anywhere and there's plenty of room here to crash for the night."

"You don't have to drink if you don't want to, Kole," Bee says. "If you're not comfortable with it, then don't do it. Roy can be a bad influence."

"I wouldn't say I'm a bad influence," Roy says.

"Just not a good one then," Bee says. Roy shrugs but doesn't say anything. Victor, Dick, Wally, and Roy all grab beers. Garth has a rum and Coke. Kori and Jenny each grab a Mike's Hard Lemonade. Toni makes a Screwdriver and Bee makes a Washington Apple. Isaiah has vodka soda. They all move back into the living room and Roy goes over to the karaoke machine.

"I'm going to show all of you how this is done," Roy says. He randomly picks a song and the music starts. He starts singing "Everybody" by the Backstreet Boys. When he is finished, everybody claps while also laughing.

"That was good," Jenny says. "But I can do better." She gets up and her song is "Toxic" by Britney Spears. They all take turns singing different songs. After an hour, Logan notices that Raven is no longer with the group. As the others are distracted by Garth is singing "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," Logan gets up and walks out of the room. He goes to Raven's room but finds it empty. He then goes up to the roof and sees Raven sitting near the edge. He walks over to her.

"Hey Rae," Logan says. He sits next to her. "What are you doing up here?"

"Just wanted to get away from downstairs for a little bit," Raven says.

"Yeah, things are definitely getting a bit crazier down there," Logan says. "Garth is definitely feeling the effects of his drinks."

"How many drinks have you had?" Raven says.

"None. If I ever do decide to drink, it will be after I turn 21 and I won't drink enough to get drunk."

"Why? Not the not drinking enough to get drunk part; that I understand."

"I have personal experience of what can happen if you drink too much. Poor decisions can be made. And other than the fact of it being against the law to drink when you aren't 21 or older, the drunk driver who killed my parents was underage. I am not going to make those same mistakes."

"I don't think you would make those mistakes. You're more responsible than that. So do you not like that our underage friends are drinking right now?"

"They can make their own decisions. Just because I don't drink, doesn't mean I will stop them. It's their decision on whether or not to drink and how much to drink. I also don't think they would make bad decisions. Make fools out of themselves, sure. But do things that could hurt others, no."

"They would definitely make fools out of themselves. Particularly Garth, Roy, and Wally."

"Garth was singing 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' in a high-pitched voice when I came up here."

"That must've been interesting."

"It was something all right. I think you should sing something."

"No. I can't sing."

"And the rest of us can? Have you heard Roy?"

"Yes, I heard him. I'm still saying no."

"Not even with me? Or the girls?"

"Nope."

"I should've dared you to sing when we were playing Truth or Dare."

"But instead you dared me to hug Roy."

"I gave you an easy dare."

"You are one of the few people I can choose dare with and not regret it."

"I'm glad the dare Garth gave me wasn't bad. I'm glad the bottle landed on you, too. It would've been really awkward for it to land on someone else since all of them except Toni are dating someone."

"I appreciated you only kissing my cheek instead of us having to kiss in front of all of them."

"I didn't think you would like it too much to have to kiss in front of our friends. Garth never specified how I had to kiss you though so I was able to get away with just kissing your cheek. I wouldn't have minded kissing you though."

"I don't not like kissing you. I just don't want to do it in front of our friends, especially since they don't know we're dating."

"If they did know, would you be okay with it?"

"I don't know. I don't like PDA."

"I know that. But for the dare, would you have been okay with kissing me in front of them?"

"Maybe. I guess I can't really answer that without having it happen."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Has that ever stopped you before?"

"When we go to Oregon for spring break, can we act like a couple in public? We won't know anybody there so there's no reason for us to hide our relationship."

"I guess that's reasonable. Okay, we won't hide our relationship when we are there."

"Thank you." He leans over and kisses her. "We should probably go back inside. If they've noticed, they'll probably be wondering where we are."

"I guess so." They both get up and go back inside. When they get to the living room, they see Wally singing "I Feel Like a Woman" by Shania Twain. They both rejoin the group, unnoticed. When Wally finishes his song, he stumbles off the makeshift stage. Jenny gets up to steady him.

"I think that's enough alcohol for you," she says. She pushes him to sit on the couch, which he does, slumping over the arm rest. As Jenny is tending to Wally, Isaiah turns off the karaoke machine and some of the others get up to get more drinks or food.

"So where did you two sneak off to?" Toni asks Logan and Raven.

"What are you talking about?" Logan asks.

"I saw both of you leave at separate times then come back in here together, trying to be discreet."

"I wanted to get some fresh air," Raven says.

"I was going to the bathroom then Raven texted me and said that the door was locked and she couldn't get back inside," Logan says. "So I went to let her back inside, which is why we walked back here together."

Toni is about to say something but Raven cuts her off. "Do you have any plans for spring break?" Raven asks.

"I do," Toni says. "I'm going to go back home to New Zealand and spend a few days there with my family. What about you?"

"I'm going to Oregon," Raven replies.

"What's in Oregon?" Toni asks.

"Raven got me plane tickets to visit Oregon so I can visit my parents' graves," Logan says. "I asked Raven to go with me for support."

"I didn't know your parents were buried in Oregon," Toni says.

"My dad was from there so they were buried in his home town."

"Are you two dating?" Toni asks. "That seems like a pretty expensive gift to get just for a friend."

"No, we're not dating," Raven says. "And Logan helped me in with some major things in recent months and he hasn't visited his parents' graves in years so I got him the plane tickets as a thank you."

"It still seems like an elaborate gift when you're not dating."

"He's my best friend so it's worth it. And the tickets weren't too bad."

"How much were they?" Toni asks.

"It doesn't matter," Raven says. "Jenny, what are you doing for spring break?"

Jenny turns away from Wally, who is now sleeping. "I don't know yet," Jenny says. "We haven't talked about it much. We might just stay here. We also talked about going to the Grand Canyon to hike, but nothing's been decided yet. Did you say you're going to Oregon with Logan?"

"Yes," Raven says.

"Are you going to be there the whole week?" Jenny asks. "What all are you going to do?"

"We'll be there the whole week but I don't know what all we'll do," Raven says. "I haven't looked to see what there is to do there."

"I've heard that there are hot springs in Oregon," Jenny says. "Some of them are 'clothing optional.' You could always check those out." Jenny and Toni laugh when Raven blushes and pulls up her hood.

"I don't think so," Raven says.

"Come on, Raven," Toni says. "I bet Logan would like to see that."

Logan turns away from his conversation with Dick, Roy, and Garth. "What would I like to see?"

"Nothing," Raven says.

"Raven in a 'clothing optional' hot spring," Jenny says, "opting to forgo clothing."

"Um," Logan says, glancing at Raven. "I'm going to say 'no comment' to that because I feel like no matter what I say it's going to be the wrong answer."

"I'll answer it," Roy says. "Hell yes, I would want to see that."

"You're probably the last person Raven would want to see her like that," Garth says.

"Pretty close to it," Raven says. "No one will be seeing me like that because I am not going to any clothing optional hot springs."

"Guess you're out of luck, dude," Roy says to Logan. "Such a shame." They move on to talking about other topics. Around 11pm, Isaiah, Joey and Kole decide to leave, and Toni leaves shortly after them. Roy and Garth leave around midnight, and Jenny and Wally decide to stay the night since Wally is still passed out on the couch. Victor and Bee go to Vic's room, and Dick, Kori, Logan, and Raven all go to their respective rooms to sleep.