Chapter Ten: A Night To Remember
The fourth of July was approaching fast. It seemed that every time someone brought up the subject, the alarm would go off. On July 2nd, at breakfast, Robin said quickly, "The fourth of July is coming up. What do you guys want to do?"
"I dunno," said Cloud "What can we do? Are you guys allowed in bars yet?"
Beastboy replied, "No! What do you think we are? 17?"
"Just wondering..." said Cloud.
"I think we should have a display of those fireworks!" said Starfire.
"I think I'll stay in my room," Raven said. "I don't want to be around with you guys trying to put off fireworks."
"Maybe we could all sit on the roof and watch other people put off their fireworks," Cyborg suggested. "It's a lot safer."
"I agree," said Raven.
"Yeah, we can get tons of junk and totally pig out!" Ella said happily.
"Well then it's decided. On the fourth of July we'll sit out here and watch fireworks," Robin said with authority. Just as if it were planned, the alarm went off. Some girl named Icicle was robbing a bank downtown. As soon as they arrived, they could tell that this would be no sweat. Icicle hadn't totally mastered her powers yet. The battle ended shortly and the Titans returned to the tower with minor injuries. Robin was completely unharmed. Raven had to put on a new cape that wasn't covered in frost, Cloud had to polish his dagger that had rusted in the ice and Beastboy had to redo his hairstyle. However, the rest of the team didn't do too well. Cyborg had to fix some microchips that were damaged by water, Starfire had a small case of frostbite, and Ella had to sit by the open oven for a while as her leg defrosted.
The team decided that for the next two days Robin, Cyborg and Cloud would fight crime. While Starfire and Beastboy went food shopping. Ella and Raven would decorate the roof. When the fourth of July rolled around, everyone was excited. At eight o'clock, they all assembled on the roof, ready to party. Cyborg was a bit tired after being forced to carry the whole entire sound system all the way up to the roof. After the system was booted up, everyone started to dance except for Raven who sat there trying to read. Finally, she gave up and just listened to the music. Robin and Starfire started dancing at a slow song and Beastboy asked Raven to dance. She only agreed after he promised not to make jokes for a week. Cloud and Cyborg started looking around for Ella, not wanting to be the odd man out. She was nowhere to be seen. They gave up and started eating. Ella was behind a giant crate hiding because she was too shy to dance with anyone. It took a while but Cloud finally found her. "What are you doing?" he asked her.
"I'm, um, sitting..." she replied nervously.
"I can see that," he said. "Why aren't you at the party?"
"Uh..." she looked down. "I was looking for my ring. I lost it..." she smiled and said quietly, "Yeah that's it!"
"I didn't know you had a ring," Cloud said.
"I don't. That's why I'm looking for it," she replied.
"C'mon. Let's go back," he said.
"No... I think I'll just stay here. You can go," she said.
"Please..." he said and gave her puppy dog eyes.
"Uh..." she said before he grabbed her hand and pulled her back to the party.
"Where were you guys?" Beastboy exclaimed. "The fireworks are about to start!"
"Uh... Where we YOU guys?" Cloud asked, changing the subject, as he turned slightly red.
"Over here," Beastboy replied.
"Hey! Look!" Starfire said. "Fireworks!" Everyone sat down to watch the show. After about an hour of watching fireworks, Beastboy started the music up and everyone began dancing again. Ella tried to slip away but Cloud grabbed her and started dancing with her. A slow song came on and Beastboy asked Ella to dance. Since she didn't want to dance with him or hurt his feelings so she said she was dancing with Cloud. Cloud happily accepted. Beastboy, looking rejected, left to find Raven who was dancing with Robin. He went looking for Starfire instead and was about to ask her to dance but Cyborg beat him to it. He miserably went to the punch bowl and started eating tofu chips. The night was fun and romantic. After about midnight, everyone said goodnight and went to bed. Ella, however, stayed up on the roof. She was watching the stars and some late fireworks when someone behind her said, "Still looking for that ring, huh?" She was so surprised that she nearly jumped out of her skin. "Why are you awake at this hour?" She asked. "Why are YOU awake at this hour?" He replied "Why do you care?" She said crossly. "I don't!" Cloud said, "I was just curious that's all! Can't a guy make conversation without getting his head bit off?" "Yeah, I guess you're right." Ella said, "Sorry, you just...startled me that's all." "Yeah, I do that! It's a kind of...habit." He said.
"So..." Ella said slowly, "Do you just roam around the tower at night?"
"Nope," He said, "I just wanted to see if anyone was setting off fireworks anymore."
"Well that's what I was doing. There aren't any left." She said looking at him.
"Oh," he said, looking into her eyes. "Darn it! Fireworks are my favorite part of the 4th of July." "Yeah, me too!" Ella said. Once again, she thought, "Someone could get lost in his eyes if they stared long enough." There was a short pause, which was broken when Cloud asked. "Did you enjoy this year's fourth of July?" "Yeah! You know what I did! Too bad Beastboy ate all the soy chips." She replied sarcastically. "Did you have a fun night?" "I guess...." He replied slowly, "Just something was missing. " "What?" Ella asked curiously "This." Cloud said, leaning over and kissing Ella. Just as Cloud had hoped, Ella kissed him back. After a short pause, Ella said dreamily, "Wow! It's late! I should have been in bed awhile ago!" She quickly got up and began to walk away. She stopped and turned around saying, "Goodnight Cloud." "Goodnight," said Cloud smiling. Ella then turned and walked away. In her room, Ella pinched herself on the arm. "Good!" she thought, "It wasn't a dream." Smiling, she got into bed and fell right asleep.
The fourth of July was approaching fast. It seemed that every time someone brought up the subject, the alarm would go off. On July 2nd, at breakfast, Robin said quickly, "The fourth of July is coming up. What do you guys want to do?"
"I dunno," said Cloud "What can we do? Are you guys allowed in bars yet?"
Beastboy replied, "No! What do you think we are? 17?"
"Just wondering..." said Cloud.
"I think we should have a display of those fireworks!" said Starfire.
"I think I'll stay in my room," Raven said. "I don't want to be around with you guys trying to put off fireworks."
"Maybe we could all sit on the roof and watch other people put off their fireworks," Cyborg suggested. "It's a lot safer."
"I agree," said Raven.
"Yeah, we can get tons of junk and totally pig out!" Ella said happily.
"Well then it's decided. On the fourth of July we'll sit out here and watch fireworks," Robin said with authority. Just as if it were planned, the alarm went off. Some girl named Icicle was robbing a bank downtown. As soon as they arrived, they could tell that this would be no sweat. Icicle hadn't totally mastered her powers yet. The battle ended shortly and the Titans returned to the tower with minor injuries. Robin was completely unharmed. Raven had to put on a new cape that wasn't covered in frost, Cloud had to polish his dagger that had rusted in the ice and Beastboy had to redo his hairstyle. However, the rest of the team didn't do too well. Cyborg had to fix some microchips that were damaged by water, Starfire had a small case of frostbite, and Ella had to sit by the open oven for a while as her leg defrosted.
The team decided that for the next two days Robin, Cyborg and Cloud would fight crime. While Starfire and Beastboy went food shopping. Ella and Raven would decorate the roof. When the fourth of July rolled around, everyone was excited. At eight o'clock, they all assembled on the roof, ready to party. Cyborg was a bit tired after being forced to carry the whole entire sound system all the way up to the roof. After the system was booted up, everyone started to dance except for Raven who sat there trying to read. Finally, she gave up and just listened to the music. Robin and Starfire started dancing at a slow song and Beastboy asked Raven to dance. She only agreed after he promised not to make jokes for a week. Cloud and Cyborg started looking around for Ella, not wanting to be the odd man out. She was nowhere to be seen. They gave up and started eating. Ella was behind a giant crate hiding because she was too shy to dance with anyone. It took a while but Cloud finally found her. "What are you doing?" he asked her.
"I'm, um, sitting..." she replied nervously.
"I can see that," he said. "Why aren't you at the party?"
"Uh..." she looked down. "I was looking for my ring. I lost it..." she smiled and said quietly, "Yeah that's it!"
"I didn't know you had a ring," Cloud said.
"I don't. That's why I'm looking for it," she replied.
"C'mon. Let's go back," he said.
"No... I think I'll just stay here. You can go," she said.
"Please..." he said and gave her puppy dog eyes.
"Uh..." she said before he grabbed her hand and pulled her back to the party.
"Where were you guys?" Beastboy exclaimed. "The fireworks are about to start!"
"Uh... Where we YOU guys?" Cloud asked, changing the subject, as he turned slightly red.
"Over here," Beastboy replied.
"Hey! Look!" Starfire said. "Fireworks!" Everyone sat down to watch the show. After about an hour of watching fireworks, Beastboy started the music up and everyone began dancing again. Ella tried to slip away but Cloud grabbed her and started dancing with her. A slow song came on and Beastboy asked Ella to dance. Since she didn't want to dance with him or hurt his feelings so she said she was dancing with Cloud. Cloud happily accepted. Beastboy, looking rejected, left to find Raven who was dancing with Robin. He went looking for Starfire instead and was about to ask her to dance but Cyborg beat him to it. He miserably went to the punch bowl and started eating tofu chips. The night was fun and romantic. After about midnight, everyone said goodnight and went to bed. Ella, however, stayed up on the roof. She was watching the stars and some late fireworks when someone behind her said, "Still looking for that ring, huh?" She was so surprised that she nearly jumped out of her skin. "Why are you awake at this hour?" She asked. "Why are YOU awake at this hour?" He replied "Why do you care?" She said crossly. "I don't!" Cloud said, "I was just curious that's all! Can't a guy make conversation without getting his head bit off?" "Yeah, I guess you're right." Ella said, "Sorry, you just...startled me that's all." "Yeah, I do that! It's a kind of...habit." He said.
"So..." Ella said slowly, "Do you just roam around the tower at night?"
"Nope," He said, "I just wanted to see if anyone was setting off fireworks anymore."
"Well that's what I was doing. There aren't any left." She said looking at him.
"Oh," he said, looking into her eyes. "Darn it! Fireworks are my favorite part of the 4th of July." "Yeah, me too!" Ella said. Once again, she thought, "Someone could get lost in his eyes if they stared long enough." There was a short pause, which was broken when Cloud asked. "Did you enjoy this year's fourth of July?" "Yeah! You know what I did! Too bad Beastboy ate all the soy chips." She replied sarcastically. "Did you have a fun night?" "I guess...." He replied slowly, "Just something was missing. " "What?" Ella asked curiously "This." Cloud said, leaning over and kissing Ella. Just as Cloud had hoped, Ella kissed him back. After a short pause, Ella said dreamily, "Wow! It's late! I should have been in bed awhile ago!" She quickly got up and began to walk away. She stopped and turned around saying, "Goodnight Cloud." "Goodnight," said Cloud smiling. Ella then turned and walked away. In her room, Ella pinched herself on the arm. "Good!" she thought, "It wasn't a dream." Smiling, she got into bed and fell right asleep.