Robin had said he didn't know how to punish me, little did he know of the
emotional beating he was giving me by ignoring me over the next week.
I was very surprised at how angry Cyborg had gotten at me as well. He is very one-sided, that one is. Either you are good, or bad. He didn't know what to think of me so he gave me the cold shoulder.
Beastboy and Starfire had convinced themselves that somehow this entire ordeal was the fault of Jinx and forgave me, but they did seem rather distant, not looking me in the eye.
Raven was my only savior. Not only did she completely forgive me, but got angry with the rest of the team for not doing the same. Raven told me that she of all people should know how important second chances are.
But even though Raven was still one my side, and Starfire and Beastboy to some degree, I started spending more and more time away from the tower during the week. Just loitering around random places. I walked aimlessly through parks, gliding gently on the spring's breeze, just being with myself.
I know my friends will forgive me eventually, but until then... I just felt lonely. One week and a day after the carnival incident, I was wondering around central park in normal clothing. Just listening to the breezes rustles the leaves and smell the fresh air.
I walked aimlessly until I came upon a small playground... the playground. I stopped so suddenly my heels skid on the green grass.
It was here. Here was I met her. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled as I remembered the small child.
I told what had happened to Raven and she still cant figure out how the little girl had gotten to this time. I can't explain it, but I know who she was... event though I hadn't been her for a long time. I knew she was me.
A sudden yelp of surprise yanked me out of my absentminded state. I looked over my shoulder and saw a girl, no older than myself, yelling angrily at a guy who was running and had a small handbag firmly griped in his fist.
"GIVE ME BACK MY BAG YOU LITTLE FUCKER!!" The girl bent down, screaming at him. But she smiled insanely as if she enjoyed the excitement of being mugged.
I calmly stepped in front of the fastly moving guy and my leg sent him sprawling face down into the ground. He scrambled to his feet, gasping desperately from having the air knocked out of him. I calmly reached down and snatched the handbag.
He looked at me as if he was going to attack me, but then hunched over and stalked off. I debated whether to go after him but decided not too, it was just a small misdemeanor. I couldn't get in real trouble for it.
I looked up and saw the girl jogging over to me. Her long black hair set in natural curls matched her dark skin, defining her African American ethnicity.
"I just got mugged! Ha! That's the funniest thing that's ever happened to me! I was standing there minding my own business than BAM! He was all, grabbed my bag. You all trip him! Then he's all on the ground!" She looked like she had had the time of her life. I laughed and handed her her bag.
"Oh, yeah thanks."
"No problem, its kinda what I do."
"Wha- wait." She stared at me for a moment, "Wait... your Naomi! From the double T! I didn't recognize you at first. You're not wearing your uniform."
"Nah, not today. So, you a fan?"
"No, I actually hate you." I looked to her smiling face.
"You hate me?"
"Yes."
"Oh really...why?"
"Well, you and Starfire actually, you two are all prancing around in those obscenely short skirts. I'll be damned if I haven't seen your panties at least fifty million times on the news."
I stared at her for a moment, and then laughed, she reminded me of someone. Jessi.
"Yeah, we are obscene little girls, aren't we?" She smiled and stuck out her hand.
"Hello, my names Nikki, and I just got mugged." I grasped her hand.
"Hi Nikki, I'm Naomi, you hate me apparently but I wont let that small detail ruin your 'just got mugged'thrill."
We stated laughing like a couple of idiots. Without realizing it, we started walking down the main path of the park, talking freely.
"So, where are the other Titans?"
"Their... well, kinda mad at me."
"Really? Why? What did you do NOW?!?"
"I kinda sorta fucked up really bad and helped a evil criminal cause chaos."
"The French guy?"
"Oh, god no. Jinx."
"Ohhhh, I saw her in the newspaper. She's got funky hair. How they hell dose she get it to stand up like that? She must use a ton of hair spray. She's apart of the HIVE right?"
"Yup."
"Why did you do it?"
"I really didn't mean too, it just is kinda one of those things that happens."
"Well, your only human." I looked in surprise at her. She smiled softly,
"People must forget that a lot, huh?"
"Yeah... they do. Everyone expects me to just be this...adult. But I... I'm still a teenager. Like you said, only human. Well, as human as you can get with superpowers. Its hard... to have the continues stress on your shoulders knowing that you can not make any mistakes, or innocent people will have to pay."
Nikki twirled her long hair around her finger thoughtfully.
"Well, if you want to be a teen just call me ok?" She took out a pen and scribbled a number on my arm.
"We can, like, hang out."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"It should be illegal to have to fight the forces of evil when it's that time of the month," I groaned as I rubbed my lower stomach, trying to ease my menstrual cramps. Nikki nodded dramatically,
"It should be illegal to do anything during your period." I was lying on her fuzzy light blue sofa in her room. Her room was a normal teenager's room, kind of like the one I used to have.
Fuzzy white carpet with soft purple painted walls that you could hardly see because of all the posters covering every available surface area. The radio was tuned to a popular station and was blasting the latest song from The Lining.
Nikki was sitting cross-legged on her bed, wearing blue jeans and a white tank top to show off her dark skin.
She was also taking pleasure gorging down an unreal amount of ice cream, straight from the carton. How that stays that thin is beyond me.
"And of course I never have any pads." I continued with my ramblings. "Star always gets into them and unleashes her boundless curiosity upon them." I stat up and mimic Starfires wide eyed bewilderment,
"What is this contraption? What is its purpose? Is it a sticker?"
"She thought it was a sticker?" Nikki sucked on her spoon to keep from laughing.
"The celb life isn't all its cracked up to be." I said dryly, "Especially when you have to peel pads off the wall from when Starfire decided to 'decorate'."
"I don't use pads anyway," Nikki said spooning an enormous amount of ice cream into her mouth, "I always use tampons."
"Really? I don't."
"Why?"
"They hurt so frickin' much!"
"Really? They don't hurt me at all. Maybe you're not pushing them in far enough."
"I push them in until I can't see them anymore."
"Well, you have to push them in until you can't see them and then a little more. But not too much."
"How much is to much?"
"When you start to feel excruciating pain in your lower stomach area. But... you might just be getting to big a sized tampons."
"I always get the slender but they still..." Suddenly our fascinating conversation about the facts of female life was cut short by the sudden bursting open of Nikki's door.
"Niiiiikki! Mom says your friend-"The small boys dark brown eyes widened as he looked at me. I assume he was Nikki's little brother; he was dark skinned as she was and his head was completely bald. He was absolutely adorable. But his adorableness faded as he started shrieking.
"MOM!! MOOOM! NAOMIS HERE!!" He quickly left to find his mom to tell her the exciting news.
"Sorry, what were you saying before Bret interrupted?"
"I forget... something about... cannibalisum? No... Oh well. Was that your little brother?"
"One of two. He's got a identical twin."
"How fun! How old are they?"
"Five, I hate it. I can never tell them apart I swear." I abandoned the sofa and crawled over to Nikki and stole her spoon and dug out some ice cream.
"Hey! Get your own!" She giggled and I flicked the ice cream that hit her on the nose.
"Hey!! You little fucker!"
"Yeah?!? Well your...stupid." I said as if it was the worst insult in the world, "Ohhh! You got burned! Total diss on the shiznick! What now bitch? You got told!!"
She laughed and was about to call me something obscene and inappropriate when we heard voices outside Nikki's door.
"Ok, ok I'm going sweetie." A plump middle-aged lady opened the door with a very distraught looking Bret attacked to her leg.
"Nicole? Bret insists that one of the Teen Titans is in here. Can you please tell Bret that your friend might LOOK like Naomi but isn't?"
Nikki doubled up in silent laughter as I floated into the air and replied,
"But I am she." I glided over to the speechless woman, "I assume your Mrs. Cecil. Nice to meet you." Her mouth hang open stupidly as a very exited Bret danced around her feet.
"See? See? I told you! You said she wasn't but I was right! I was right and you were wrong! Look Jeremy! I was right!"
A little boy that was identical to his brother peeked around his mother's legs to look curiously at me. He slowly crept closer to me and I couldn't help but notice that he was wearing enormous red high-heeled shoes on his tiny feet. He made his way slowly to me, walking stiff legged to his shoes wouldn't fall off. Clunk clunk clunk.
He said nothing but looked to me in wonderment. Suddenly Nikki's cheerful looking mother got a hold of her wits.
"Oh... Naomi, would you like to stay for lunch-supper! Supper, that's what I meant."
My face lit up.
"Food? Not three day old pizza but real actual food?"
"Yes, I do like to serve real actual food." She laughed and rounded up her small boys to set the table.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
We all sat around the table after Bret and Jeremy had finally stopped running in circles around the table, trying to see who would get dizzy and fall down first.
I started to notice that Bret always talked for Jeremy, who never said a word. And also that there was not father. But that is perfectly normal, lots of families are divorced.
"Naomi must have veggies," Nikki's mom announced in a motherly tone, spooning steamed broccoli onto my plate.
"Mooom! Please!" Nikki looked embarrassed by her moms "lameness." But I liked it. Once you start living without your parents, you'll be surprised at what you'll miss most. And it usually is their 'lameness'.
Bret and Jeremy stared unblinkingly at me from across the table.
"Stop staring! Its rude!" Mrs. Cecil hit them gently over the head with a napkin. They blinked a couple of times but continued to stare. I opened my eyes wide and stared right back at them, causing Bret to laugh and Jeremy to smile.
"Jeremy, be a good boy and fetch the small chair from your room, if you please," Mrs. Cecil commanded her son as if she was a drill sergeant and he was her private. He hopped down from his chair and him and his red shoes clucked up the stairs.
"Sooo," I said, trying hard to suppress a smile, "He likes high heeled shoes apparently."
"Oh my god, he loves girls apparel. He is going to grow up to be a male cross dresser, I swear," Nikki said rolling her eyes.
"Shush! No he is not!" Mrs. Cecil snapped, "Its just a little stage he's going through."
The clunking of shoes announced Mr. Jeremy's arrival as he held a plastic red chair above his head. He looked down the long flight of stairs and stared to make his way down them.
"Jeremy, don't. Take off those shoes-"But it was too late. Jeremy slipped and started to pitch forwards, a silent look of shock on his small face. I instinctively sprang into the air and caught him just as he was about to tumble down the stairs. I set him gently on the ground at the foot of the stairs.
"Are you ok?" He looked at me silently.
"Jeremy's not a talker," Mrs. Nikki's Mom explained as she grabbed her son in a big hug, "Hasn't spoken a word since... his father left."
The way she said the last sentence made me get the feeling that the father did more than 'just leave', but I didn't comment.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"You were out late," Robin commented carefully as I entered the tower. He had been sitting in one of the chairs near the front entrance, waiting for me to return.
"Yes, I was." I stared to walk away from him.
"Yeah... where were you?" He jumped to his feet and followed me.
"At Nikki's. We had dinner then watched movies with her little brothers."
"Nikki's again? You've hung out with her a lot lately."
"Yes, I have."
"Yes, you seem to visit her quite often," Star joined up with us, looking a little sad. Why is everyone following me around?
"Yeah, I like her a lot. Night."
I turned to the elevator and climbed in, leaving Star and Robin behind. As the doors shut I rubbed my face tiredly and leaned back on the wall of the elevator and sighed.
Things were still not cool between me and the rest of the team, there was so much tension between everyone. They seemed like they wanted it to be all okay again, but for some strange reason I was upset with them. Upset that they ignored me for so long. A week ago all I wanted was forgiveness, but now that I had it... I was upset, even angry with them.
The elevators doors opened and I hurried down the hall to my room, opened the door and collapsed onto my bed. I hugged my pillows and cursed at life for being so stupid.
Why was I mad at them? I was the one who fucked up. Maybe because I knew that if it were one of them that had had the run in with Jinx, I would have forgiven them in a second. For some reason I just felt... betrayed.
There was a soft knock on the door that I recognized as Starfire.
"Naomi? May I have a sentence with you?"
"Yeah, come in." She entered uncertainly and looked at me as if I was some long lost friend she hadn't seen in years.
"Naomi, Robin... he is sorry. He has spoken the very words himself. He is sorry he had refused to acknowledge your existence for a brief period of time and wishes to perform 'making up'."
"Good for him."
"Cyborg also wishes he did not partake in the role of 'an asshole' as well. He put it just so."
"Good for him as well."
"Naomi," Star looked at me with a pained expression, "We can not help but feel that you have been... neglecting us lately."
"Oh, I've been neglecting YOU guys?!? Well, I am so very sorry. With the whole you people not even looking at me for a week thing! So I went out and made a friend. So what?"
"Oh... she is a friend." Star had a funny expression on her face, almost like... jealously. "Tell me, do you have 'girl time'?"
"Yeah..."
"I see." She glided to the door and rested her hand on the knob. "Tell me, can you talk of thing with her you could not talk to me of?"
She left the room before I could answer. I sat stupidly on my bed. It's true, I do enjoy the company of someone who doesn't have to have every slang or cuss word explained to them, but nothing could replace my friends. But Nikki was a friend now too.
I swore horribly and fell backwards on my bed. They were going to make me choose. I will ALWAYS have to choose between a relatively normal relationship and my relatively unnormal relationships with them. The phone began ringing. I ignored it until I heard Beastboy yelling,
"Naooooooomi! It's for you! It's a booooooy!" He sang tantingly it as if he was a younger sibling taking pleasure in the embarrassment of the older sibling getting a phone call from the opposite sex.
"Who is it?"
"Breeeeet!" Oh! I smiled as I rolled out of bed and ran into Beastboy in the hall.
"Is this someone I should know about? Are you cheating on me?" he asked in mock seriousness, trying to pretend like we were joking around like usually and nothing was wrong. Dear lord. Last week I nobody would look me in the eye, now I have to pry them off!
"BB, he's a five year old."
"So? Doesn't mean your not having sex with him." I stuck my tongue out at him and snatched the phone.
"Hello?"
"Naomi? NAOMI!! NAOMI!! NAOMI!!!"
"YES??YES??YES??"
"Will you come to Jeremy and mines birthday party tomorrow?" Beastboy stared to hug me from behind, rubbing my stomach with the tips of his fingers. Letting his lips brush the back of my neck.
"Hmmmm, let me check my busy schedule." I leaned away from the phone to build suspense for the little Bret.
"Well, what do you know? It just so happens I've got an opening for tomorrow afternoon."
"Really?!? Jeremy! She can come! She can come!!" I head the sound of to little hands clapping instead of words on the other line.
"What? Bret! I told you not to bother her!" I heard Nikki's angry yelling in the background.
"She wants to come!" Bret's voice yelled triumphantly, "You said that she wouldn't but she dose!"
"No! Give me the fricken phone! Bret! GIVE IT TO ME!!"
"Naomi? Come at three! Bye!"
"GIVE IT-" click. I smiled as I hung up the phone. How cute. I haven't been to a birthday party since forever. Beastboy hugged me harder, as if trying to direct my attention to him.
"So, who was that?" He whispered the question in my ear in a soft voice that he thought was sexy.
"Oh, just Nikki's little brother. He was inviting me to this little birthday party tomorrow afternoon."
"Oh..."Little green elf sounded disappointed, "I just thought that... we could go out tomorrow. I haven't seen you lately and...I miss you. You know.. with everything going on..."
"Yeah." He was about to try to kiss me on the lips when I heard Robins voice echoing in another room.
"Hey Naomi? Can you come here for a minute? Cy and I want to talk with you."
"Sure, hold on." I called to Robin, "Beastboy, we can go out after the party, ok?" He nodded and reluctantly let go of me and I left to find the location of Robin's voice, which happened to be the living room.
"Yes?" I asked as I entered the room. Cyborg was sitting om the big red couch, but jumped to his feet when I entered. Robin was leaning agaist the wall, with 'I really don't want to do this but I know I have to' look.
Cyborg looked at me and rubbed the back of his neck, tilting his head sighing. Robin cleared his throat,
"Well, we're...sorry. We really are. We know you would have never done anything like that intentionally and we should have forgiven you a long time ago."
"Yeah," Cyborg added, "You... still my homi?"
I nodded, "Well bye." And I left.
*
*
*
StArRy- Naomi is dishing out some serious attitude. But everyone gets pissy sometimes. And it IS that time of the month! I would be upset if my friends ignored me for more than a week! 0__o
Kinda a rough point for Naomi but everyone will love each other in the end. Except Ice _
Well, review or fear my wrath! Which happens to include dismemberment of people who don't review!! Oh god...
I was very surprised at how angry Cyborg had gotten at me as well. He is very one-sided, that one is. Either you are good, or bad. He didn't know what to think of me so he gave me the cold shoulder.
Beastboy and Starfire had convinced themselves that somehow this entire ordeal was the fault of Jinx and forgave me, but they did seem rather distant, not looking me in the eye.
Raven was my only savior. Not only did she completely forgive me, but got angry with the rest of the team for not doing the same. Raven told me that she of all people should know how important second chances are.
But even though Raven was still one my side, and Starfire and Beastboy to some degree, I started spending more and more time away from the tower during the week. Just loitering around random places. I walked aimlessly through parks, gliding gently on the spring's breeze, just being with myself.
I know my friends will forgive me eventually, but until then... I just felt lonely. One week and a day after the carnival incident, I was wondering around central park in normal clothing. Just listening to the breezes rustles the leaves and smell the fresh air.
I walked aimlessly until I came upon a small playground... the playground. I stopped so suddenly my heels skid on the green grass.
It was here. Here was I met her. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled as I remembered the small child.
I told what had happened to Raven and she still cant figure out how the little girl had gotten to this time. I can't explain it, but I know who she was... event though I hadn't been her for a long time. I knew she was me.
A sudden yelp of surprise yanked me out of my absentminded state. I looked over my shoulder and saw a girl, no older than myself, yelling angrily at a guy who was running and had a small handbag firmly griped in his fist.
"GIVE ME BACK MY BAG YOU LITTLE FUCKER!!" The girl bent down, screaming at him. But she smiled insanely as if she enjoyed the excitement of being mugged.
I calmly stepped in front of the fastly moving guy and my leg sent him sprawling face down into the ground. He scrambled to his feet, gasping desperately from having the air knocked out of him. I calmly reached down and snatched the handbag.
He looked at me as if he was going to attack me, but then hunched over and stalked off. I debated whether to go after him but decided not too, it was just a small misdemeanor. I couldn't get in real trouble for it.
I looked up and saw the girl jogging over to me. Her long black hair set in natural curls matched her dark skin, defining her African American ethnicity.
"I just got mugged! Ha! That's the funniest thing that's ever happened to me! I was standing there minding my own business than BAM! He was all, grabbed my bag. You all trip him! Then he's all on the ground!" She looked like she had had the time of her life. I laughed and handed her her bag.
"Oh, yeah thanks."
"No problem, its kinda what I do."
"Wha- wait." She stared at me for a moment, "Wait... your Naomi! From the double T! I didn't recognize you at first. You're not wearing your uniform."
"Nah, not today. So, you a fan?"
"No, I actually hate you." I looked to her smiling face.
"You hate me?"
"Yes."
"Oh really...why?"
"Well, you and Starfire actually, you two are all prancing around in those obscenely short skirts. I'll be damned if I haven't seen your panties at least fifty million times on the news."
I stared at her for a moment, and then laughed, she reminded me of someone. Jessi.
"Yeah, we are obscene little girls, aren't we?" She smiled and stuck out her hand.
"Hello, my names Nikki, and I just got mugged." I grasped her hand.
"Hi Nikki, I'm Naomi, you hate me apparently but I wont let that small detail ruin your 'just got mugged'thrill."
We stated laughing like a couple of idiots. Without realizing it, we started walking down the main path of the park, talking freely.
"So, where are the other Titans?"
"Their... well, kinda mad at me."
"Really? Why? What did you do NOW?!?"
"I kinda sorta fucked up really bad and helped a evil criminal cause chaos."
"The French guy?"
"Oh, god no. Jinx."
"Ohhhh, I saw her in the newspaper. She's got funky hair. How they hell dose she get it to stand up like that? She must use a ton of hair spray. She's apart of the HIVE right?"
"Yup."
"Why did you do it?"
"I really didn't mean too, it just is kinda one of those things that happens."
"Well, your only human." I looked in surprise at her. She smiled softly,
"People must forget that a lot, huh?"
"Yeah... they do. Everyone expects me to just be this...adult. But I... I'm still a teenager. Like you said, only human. Well, as human as you can get with superpowers. Its hard... to have the continues stress on your shoulders knowing that you can not make any mistakes, or innocent people will have to pay."
Nikki twirled her long hair around her finger thoughtfully.
"Well, if you want to be a teen just call me ok?" She took out a pen and scribbled a number on my arm.
"We can, like, hang out."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"It should be illegal to have to fight the forces of evil when it's that time of the month," I groaned as I rubbed my lower stomach, trying to ease my menstrual cramps. Nikki nodded dramatically,
"It should be illegal to do anything during your period." I was lying on her fuzzy light blue sofa in her room. Her room was a normal teenager's room, kind of like the one I used to have.
Fuzzy white carpet with soft purple painted walls that you could hardly see because of all the posters covering every available surface area. The radio was tuned to a popular station and was blasting the latest song from The Lining.
Nikki was sitting cross-legged on her bed, wearing blue jeans and a white tank top to show off her dark skin.
She was also taking pleasure gorging down an unreal amount of ice cream, straight from the carton. How that stays that thin is beyond me.
"And of course I never have any pads." I continued with my ramblings. "Star always gets into them and unleashes her boundless curiosity upon them." I stat up and mimic Starfires wide eyed bewilderment,
"What is this contraption? What is its purpose? Is it a sticker?"
"She thought it was a sticker?" Nikki sucked on her spoon to keep from laughing.
"The celb life isn't all its cracked up to be." I said dryly, "Especially when you have to peel pads off the wall from when Starfire decided to 'decorate'."
"I don't use pads anyway," Nikki said spooning an enormous amount of ice cream into her mouth, "I always use tampons."
"Really? I don't."
"Why?"
"They hurt so frickin' much!"
"Really? They don't hurt me at all. Maybe you're not pushing them in far enough."
"I push them in until I can't see them anymore."
"Well, you have to push them in until you can't see them and then a little more. But not too much."
"How much is to much?"
"When you start to feel excruciating pain in your lower stomach area. But... you might just be getting to big a sized tampons."
"I always get the slender but they still..." Suddenly our fascinating conversation about the facts of female life was cut short by the sudden bursting open of Nikki's door.
"Niiiiikki! Mom says your friend-"The small boys dark brown eyes widened as he looked at me. I assume he was Nikki's little brother; he was dark skinned as she was and his head was completely bald. He was absolutely adorable. But his adorableness faded as he started shrieking.
"MOM!! MOOOM! NAOMIS HERE!!" He quickly left to find his mom to tell her the exciting news.
"Sorry, what were you saying before Bret interrupted?"
"I forget... something about... cannibalisum? No... Oh well. Was that your little brother?"
"One of two. He's got a identical twin."
"How fun! How old are they?"
"Five, I hate it. I can never tell them apart I swear." I abandoned the sofa and crawled over to Nikki and stole her spoon and dug out some ice cream.
"Hey! Get your own!" She giggled and I flicked the ice cream that hit her on the nose.
"Hey!! You little fucker!"
"Yeah?!? Well your...stupid." I said as if it was the worst insult in the world, "Ohhh! You got burned! Total diss on the shiznick! What now bitch? You got told!!"
She laughed and was about to call me something obscene and inappropriate when we heard voices outside Nikki's door.
"Ok, ok I'm going sweetie." A plump middle-aged lady opened the door with a very distraught looking Bret attacked to her leg.
"Nicole? Bret insists that one of the Teen Titans is in here. Can you please tell Bret that your friend might LOOK like Naomi but isn't?"
Nikki doubled up in silent laughter as I floated into the air and replied,
"But I am she." I glided over to the speechless woman, "I assume your Mrs. Cecil. Nice to meet you." Her mouth hang open stupidly as a very exited Bret danced around her feet.
"See? See? I told you! You said she wasn't but I was right! I was right and you were wrong! Look Jeremy! I was right!"
A little boy that was identical to his brother peeked around his mother's legs to look curiously at me. He slowly crept closer to me and I couldn't help but notice that he was wearing enormous red high-heeled shoes on his tiny feet. He made his way slowly to me, walking stiff legged to his shoes wouldn't fall off. Clunk clunk clunk.
He said nothing but looked to me in wonderment. Suddenly Nikki's cheerful looking mother got a hold of her wits.
"Oh... Naomi, would you like to stay for lunch-supper! Supper, that's what I meant."
My face lit up.
"Food? Not three day old pizza but real actual food?"
"Yes, I do like to serve real actual food." She laughed and rounded up her small boys to set the table.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
We all sat around the table after Bret and Jeremy had finally stopped running in circles around the table, trying to see who would get dizzy and fall down first.
I started to notice that Bret always talked for Jeremy, who never said a word. And also that there was not father. But that is perfectly normal, lots of families are divorced.
"Naomi must have veggies," Nikki's mom announced in a motherly tone, spooning steamed broccoli onto my plate.
"Mooom! Please!" Nikki looked embarrassed by her moms "lameness." But I liked it. Once you start living without your parents, you'll be surprised at what you'll miss most. And it usually is their 'lameness'.
Bret and Jeremy stared unblinkingly at me from across the table.
"Stop staring! Its rude!" Mrs. Cecil hit them gently over the head with a napkin. They blinked a couple of times but continued to stare. I opened my eyes wide and stared right back at them, causing Bret to laugh and Jeremy to smile.
"Jeremy, be a good boy and fetch the small chair from your room, if you please," Mrs. Cecil commanded her son as if she was a drill sergeant and he was her private. He hopped down from his chair and him and his red shoes clucked up the stairs.
"Sooo," I said, trying hard to suppress a smile, "He likes high heeled shoes apparently."
"Oh my god, he loves girls apparel. He is going to grow up to be a male cross dresser, I swear," Nikki said rolling her eyes.
"Shush! No he is not!" Mrs. Cecil snapped, "Its just a little stage he's going through."
The clunking of shoes announced Mr. Jeremy's arrival as he held a plastic red chair above his head. He looked down the long flight of stairs and stared to make his way down them.
"Jeremy, don't. Take off those shoes-"But it was too late. Jeremy slipped and started to pitch forwards, a silent look of shock on his small face. I instinctively sprang into the air and caught him just as he was about to tumble down the stairs. I set him gently on the ground at the foot of the stairs.
"Are you ok?" He looked at me silently.
"Jeremy's not a talker," Mrs. Nikki's Mom explained as she grabbed her son in a big hug, "Hasn't spoken a word since... his father left."
The way she said the last sentence made me get the feeling that the father did more than 'just leave', but I didn't comment.
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"You were out late," Robin commented carefully as I entered the tower. He had been sitting in one of the chairs near the front entrance, waiting for me to return.
"Yes, I was." I stared to walk away from him.
"Yeah... where were you?" He jumped to his feet and followed me.
"At Nikki's. We had dinner then watched movies with her little brothers."
"Nikki's again? You've hung out with her a lot lately."
"Yes, I have."
"Yes, you seem to visit her quite often," Star joined up with us, looking a little sad. Why is everyone following me around?
"Yeah, I like her a lot. Night."
I turned to the elevator and climbed in, leaving Star and Robin behind. As the doors shut I rubbed my face tiredly and leaned back on the wall of the elevator and sighed.
Things were still not cool between me and the rest of the team, there was so much tension between everyone. They seemed like they wanted it to be all okay again, but for some strange reason I was upset with them. Upset that they ignored me for so long. A week ago all I wanted was forgiveness, but now that I had it... I was upset, even angry with them.
The elevators doors opened and I hurried down the hall to my room, opened the door and collapsed onto my bed. I hugged my pillows and cursed at life for being so stupid.
Why was I mad at them? I was the one who fucked up. Maybe because I knew that if it were one of them that had had the run in with Jinx, I would have forgiven them in a second. For some reason I just felt... betrayed.
There was a soft knock on the door that I recognized as Starfire.
"Naomi? May I have a sentence with you?"
"Yeah, come in." She entered uncertainly and looked at me as if I was some long lost friend she hadn't seen in years.
"Naomi, Robin... he is sorry. He has spoken the very words himself. He is sorry he had refused to acknowledge your existence for a brief period of time and wishes to perform 'making up'."
"Good for him."
"Cyborg also wishes he did not partake in the role of 'an asshole' as well. He put it just so."
"Good for him as well."
"Naomi," Star looked at me with a pained expression, "We can not help but feel that you have been... neglecting us lately."
"Oh, I've been neglecting YOU guys?!? Well, I am so very sorry. With the whole you people not even looking at me for a week thing! So I went out and made a friend. So what?"
"Oh... she is a friend." Star had a funny expression on her face, almost like... jealously. "Tell me, do you have 'girl time'?"
"Yeah..."
"I see." She glided to the door and rested her hand on the knob. "Tell me, can you talk of thing with her you could not talk to me of?"
She left the room before I could answer. I sat stupidly on my bed. It's true, I do enjoy the company of someone who doesn't have to have every slang or cuss word explained to them, but nothing could replace my friends. But Nikki was a friend now too.
I swore horribly and fell backwards on my bed. They were going to make me choose. I will ALWAYS have to choose between a relatively normal relationship and my relatively unnormal relationships with them. The phone began ringing. I ignored it until I heard Beastboy yelling,
"Naooooooomi! It's for you! It's a booooooy!" He sang tantingly it as if he was a younger sibling taking pleasure in the embarrassment of the older sibling getting a phone call from the opposite sex.
"Who is it?"
"Breeeeet!" Oh! I smiled as I rolled out of bed and ran into Beastboy in the hall.
"Is this someone I should know about? Are you cheating on me?" he asked in mock seriousness, trying to pretend like we were joking around like usually and nothing was wrong. Dear lord. Last week I nobody would look me in the eye, now I have to pry them off!
"BB, he's a five year old."
"So? Doesn't mean your not having sex with him." I stuck my tongue out at him and snatched the phone.
"Hello?"
"Naomi? NAOMI!! NAOMI!! NAOMI!!!"
"YES??YES??YES??"
"Will you come to Jeremy and mines birthday party tomorrow?" Beastboy stared to hug me from behind, rubbing my stomach with the tips of his fingers. Letting his lips brush the back of my neck.
"Hmmmm, let me check my busy schedule." I leaned away from the phone to build suspense for the little Bret.
"Well, what do you know? It just so happens I've got an opening for tomorrow afternoon."
"Really?!? Jeremy! She can come! She can come!!" I head the sound of to little hands clapping instead of words on the other line.
"What? Bret! I told you not to bother her!" I heard Nikki's angry yelling in the background.
"She wants to come!" Bret's voice yelled triumphantly, "You said that she wouldn't but she dose!"
"No! Give me the fricken phone! Bret! GIVE IT TO ME!!"
"Naomi? Come at three! Bye!"
"GIVE IT-" click. I smiled as I hung up the phone. How cute. I haven't been to a birthday party since forever. Beastboy hugged me harder, as if trying to direct my attention to him.
"So, who was that?" He whispered the question in my ear in a soft voice that he thought was sexy.
"Oh, just Nikki's little brother. He was inviting me to this little birthday party tomorrow afternoon."
"Oh..."Little green elf sounded disappointed, "I just thought that... we could go out tomorrow. I haven't seen you lately and...I miss you. You know.. with everything going on..."
"Yeah." He was about to try to kiss me on the lips when I heard Robins voice echoing in another room.
"Hey Naomi? Can you come here for a minute? Cy and I want to talk with you."
"Sure, hold on." I called to Robin, "Beastboy, we can go out after the party, ok?" He nodded and reluctantly let go of me and I left to find the location of Robin's voice, which happened to be the living room.
"Yes?" I asked as I entered the room. Cyborg was sitting om the big red couch, but jumped to his feet when I entered. Robin was leaning agaist the wall, with 'I really don't want to do this but I know I have to' look.
Cyborg looked at me and rubbed the back of his neck, tilting his head sighing. Robin cleared his throat,
"Well, we're...sorry. We really are. We know you would have never done anything like that intentionally and we should have forgiven you a long time ago."
"Yeah," Cyborg added, "You... still my homi?"
I nodded, "Well bye." And I left.
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StArRy- Naomi is dishing out some serious attitude. But everyone gets pissy sometimes. And it IS that time of the month! I would be upset if my friends ignored me for more than a week! 0__o
Kinda a rough point for Naomi but everyone will love each other in the end. Except Ice _
Well, review or fear my wrath! Which happens to include dismemberment of people who don't review!! Oh god...
