Ch.2 Cupid- One, Rayene-Zilch
"Can you believe that guy's nerve? I mean, I just met him and he asked me out!" Rayene told her best friend, Minagi.
" Well, from what I heard, he obviously had a crush on you. Turn your head to the left." Minagi was in the middle of fixing Raye's hair. She smiled, her crisp topaz eyes glittering. " You know the affect you have on guys."
Raye sighed. " But I don't even know his name..." But I want to... no I don't! I won't make the same mistake...
Minagi smiled again. " You could always find out. Was he cute? Hmmm? Give me some details! "
Raye flushed with embarrassment. " Yeah, he was cute. He had the nicest green eyes I've even seen. And he sure was sweet..."
" Looks like he's not the only one with a crush, eh Raye?" Minagi said teasingly.
Rayene's face darkened even more. " Ah, come on Mina. You know what I've been through, you know how I feel about falling in love."
Minagi sighed. " Yeah... but you never know. Maybe he's the one that's going to break your `curse'. You have to face your fears sometime girl."
" I...I don't know Mina." Raye faltered. " What if this just turns out like before? I'm not sure if I can risk that."
Minagi sighed. " Ok, I'll make you a deal. You give this new guy a chance, and yourself a chance at love again. If it doesn't work out, you don't have to take my advice anymore, ok?"
Raye smiled and got up from her chair. " Oh, alright, I'll give it a shot, I suppose. I hope you're right. And if you're wrong, I don't have to listen to your mouth anymore, Minagi."
" When have I ever been wrong?"
" Don' t get me started! Remember the time you-"
" Hey, that was not my fault! I was told from a very reliable source that mayo makes hair grow faster."
" Sure, whatever Mina. If it was so reliable, you could've tried it yourself. It took me hours to get that stuff out of my hair! But anyway, thanks for fixing me up."
" Good luck, love goddess." Minagi waved with a wide grin on her face.
" MINAGI!!!"
Jake took a deep breath, trying to quell the nervousness in his stomach. He gripped the small potted tomato plant that Raye had given him. Chance had the uncanny idea to "accidentally" over water his plant, so he had a decent excuse to see his mystery lady again. If this doesn't work... His thoughts were cut off, as he began to hear music coming from Raye's garden...
Raye was dancing around, giving a concert to her garden. She sang along with her CD in a small stereo by the base of the tree. Her voice rang out clear and pure over the trees. As Jake walked up, he could see Raye singing her heart out and decided not to bother her. Instead, he concealed himself behind a tree and watched her with a smile.
" When you are with me, I'm free, I'm careless, I believe! Above all the others we'll fly, this brings tears to my eyes...my sacrifice!" Jake watched on as she belted out one of his favorite songs. As she finished, he walked calmly from his hiding spot, applauding.
Raye jumped half a mile into the air. She whirled, and let out a breath as she saw who it was. " Oh, its just you again. Don't do that! You almost gave me a heart attack."
Jake smiled apologetically. " Sorry about that. I enjoyed your song, if it makes you feel any better. That's one of my favorite songs, and I must say you do it justice."
Raye felt an embarrassed grin crossing her face. "Thanks...Creed's one of my absolute favorite bands." She paused momentarily. Give him a chance...give myself a chance... "Er...I never caught your name last time, y'know."
" Jake Clawson."
" Rayene Entei." She offered her hand, and to her shock and slight pleasure, Jake kissed it.
" I'm charmed." He smiled again, and suddenly Raye felt a funny weakness in her knees. Oy vey...Minagi's gonna have a field day with this one...I'm actually falling for him.
She removed her hand from his, face red as one of her roses. " So...did you come back just to hear me sing, or is there something else you need?"
" Well..." Jake went back behind the tree to get his plant. "Something's wrong with the tomato plant you gave me." He handed it to her.
She looked over the tiny bud, and gave Jake a suspicious stare. "You over watered it. Practically drowned the poor thing. Did you do this on purpose?"
Jake went bright red. " Well, I ..." Rayene raised an eyebrow. " I wanted to see you again. I...didn't want to come back without a reason."
" Thought I'd be angry?" A smile began to form on her lips.
"Yeah, something like that." He grinned apologetically. " Are you angry?"
Rayene paused to think. " Nah. But I think we're gonna have to replant this little buster. Follow me." She led him off to her vegetable garden.
YES!! Thank you Chance!! Jake rushed off after her.
" So I can come back anytime, to see how my plant is doing?"
Raye paused, wiping her forehead with her work gloves. " Sure thing. You're welcome here anytime."
" Cool." Jake paused, and took a deep breath. " Y'know Rayene, my offer still stands. It isn't too late to go out Friday, if you want to..." he trailed off hopefully.
Raye said nothing, thinking it over. Do I really want to do this? Just one date can't hurt, can it? Not like I'm busy Friday...
"I'd be glad to."
Jake eyes widened. " Really? You'll go out with me?"
Raye smiled. " Sure, why not? How about 7:30?"
Jake was walking on air. " Whatever time is good for you, I'm fine with it." " So I'll see you at seven-thirty?"
" Sure thing Rayene. I'll pick you up right here. Oh, and dress casual. I've got a surprise for you."
Rayene found a small slip of paper in the pocket of her skirt, scribbled her number on it, and waved as Jake headed off. " Now look what you've gotten yourself into Raye-girl. I have got to call Mina. Arrgh..." She looked down at her clothes. " What am I gonna wear?"
Jake was silent all the way home, staring at the paper in his hands, and his grin growing wider and wider. The moment he got in the door, he was practically exploding with happiness.
" Hey Chance, guess what?"
Chance looked away from the football game he was watching.
" What?"
" SCORE!!"
"Can you believe that guy's nerve? I mean, I just met him and he asked me out!" Rayene told her best friend, Minagi.
" Well, from what I heard, he obviously had a crush on you. Turn your head to the left." Minagi was in the middle of fixing Raye's hair. She smiled, her crisp topaz eyes glittering. " You know the affect you have on guys."
Raye sighed. " But I don't even know his name..." But I want to... no I don't! I won't make the same mistake...
Minagi smiled again. " You could always find out. Was he cute? Hmmm? Give me some details! "
Raye flushed with embarrassment. " Yeah, he was cute. He had the nicest green eyes I've even seen. And he sure was sweet..."
" Looks like he's not the only one with a crush, eh Raye?" Minagi said teasingly.
Rayene's face darkened even more. " Ah, come on Mina. You know what I've been through, you know how I feel about falling in love."
Minagi sighed. " Yeah... but you never know. Maybe he's the one that's going to break your `curse'. You have to face your fears sometime girl."
" I...I don't know Mina." Raye faltered. " What if this just turns out like before? I'm not sure if I can risk that."
Minagi sighed. " Ok, I'll make you a deal. You give this new guy a chance, and yourself a chance at love again. If it doesn't work out, you don't have to take my advice anymore, ok?"
Raye smiled and got up from her chair. " Oh, alright, I'll give it a shot, I suppose. I hope you're right. And if you're wrong, I don't have to listen to your mouth anymore, Minagi."
" When have I ever been wrong?"
" Don' t get me started! Remember the time you-"
" Hey, that was not my fault! I was told from a very reliable source that mayo makes hair grow faster."
" Sure, whatever Mina. If it was so reliable, you could've tried it yourself. It took me hours to get that stuff out of my hair! But anyway, thanks for fixing me up."
" Good luck, love goddess." Minagi waved with a wide grin on her face.
" MINAGI!!!"
Jake took a deep breath, trying to quell the nervousness in his stomach. He gripped the small potted tomato plant that Raye had given him. Chance had the uncanny idea to "accidentally" over water his plant, so he had a decent excuse to see his mystery lady again. If this doesn't work... His thoughts were cut off, as he began to hear music coming from Raye's garden...
Raye was dancing around, giving a concert to her garden. She sang along with her CD in a small stereo by the base of the tree. Her voice rang out clear and pure over the trees. As Jake walked up, he could see Raye singing her heart out and decided not to bother her. Instead, he concealed himself behind a tree and watched her with a smile.
" When you are with me, I'm free, I'm careless, I believe! Above all the others we'll fly, this brings tears to my eyes...my sacrifice!" Jake watched on as she belted out one of his favorite songs. As she finished, he walked calmly from his hiding spot, applauding.
Raye jumped half a mile into the air. She whirled, and let out a breath as she saw who it was. " Oh, its just you again. Don't do that! You almost gave me a heart attack."
Jake smiled apologetically. " Sorry about that. I enjoyed your song, if it makes you feel any better. That's one of my favorite songs, and I must say you do it justice."
Raye felt an embarrassed grin crossing her face. "Thanks...Creed's one of my absolute favorite bands." She paused momentarily. Give him a chance...give myself a chance... "Er...I never caught your name last time, y'know."
" Jake Clawson."
" Rayene Entei." She offered her hand, and to her shock and slight pleasure, Jake kissed it.
" I'm charmed." He smiled again, and suddenly Raye felt a funny weakness in her knees. Oy vey...Minagi's gonna have a field day with this one...I'm actually falling for him.
She removed her hand from his, face red as one of her roses. " So...did you come back just to hear me sing, or is there something else you need?"
" Well..." Jake went back behind the tree to get his plant. "Something's wrong with the tomato plant you gave me." He handed it to her.
She looked over the tiny bud, and gave Jake a suspicious stare. "You over watered it. Practically drowned the poor thing. Did you do this on purpose?"
Jake went bright red. " Well, I ..." Rayene raised an eyebrow. " I wanted to see you again. I...didn't want to come back without a reason."
" Thought I'd be angry?" A smile began to form on her lips.
"Yeah, something like that." He grinned apologetically. " Are you angry?"
Rayene paused to think. " Nah. But I think we're gonna have to replant this little buster. Follow me." She led him off to her vegetable garden.
YES!! Thank you Chance!! Jake rushed off after her.
" So I can come back anytime, to see how my plant is doing?"
Raye paused, wiping her forehead with her work gloves. " Sure thing. You're welcome here anytime."
" Cool." Jake paused, and took a deep breath. " Y'know Rayene, my offer still stands. It isn't too late to go out Friday, if you want to..." he trailed off hopefully.
Raye said nothing, thinking it over. Do I really want to do this? Just one date can't hurt, can it? Not like I'm busy Friday...
"I'd be glad to."
Jake eyes widened. " Really? You'll go out with me?"
Raye smiled. " Sure, why not? How about 7:30?"
Jake was walking on air. " Whatever time is good for you, I'm fine with it." " So I'll see you at seven-thirty?"
" Sure thing Rayene. I'll pick you up right here. Oh, and dress casual. I've got a surprise for you."
Rayene found a small slip of paper in the pocket of her skirt, scribbled her number on it, and waved as Jake headed off. " Now look what you've gotten yourself into Raye-girl. I have got to call Mina. Arrgh..." She looked down at her clothes. " What am I gonna wear?"
Jake was silent all the way home, staring at the paper in his hands, and his grin growing wider and wider. The moment he got in the door, he was practically exploding with happiness.
" Hey Chance, guess what?"
Chance looked away from the football game he was watching.
" What?"
" SCORE!!"