Chapter 9- Troubled Minds and Missing Emotions
Hi again everyone. Well, we're gathered here today for the SECOND TO LAST chapter of "No Chance"! Thank you all again for your reviews, a lot of them were helpful (Thanks, LSR-7) and most of them were just plain encouraging. Sorry once again for the long lapse between update times, but I PROMISE the end of the story will make up for ALL OF IT.
Okay then, here is Chapter 9.
.................................................
From her seat in the plane, Raven gazed up into the deep Alaskan sky and took a moment to drown herself in the amazing colors that made up the heavens above. The sky, however dark, seemed to open up a whole new world in Raven's mind, a new type of feeling she had never before experienced. Life in the sky here was limited, not like back home where large groups of geese would populate the sky like clouds. Mountains and gigantic slabs of glaciers populated the earth down below in large numbers, but each one was different, unique in its own special way. The mountains seemed to tower over small rivers, which made their way through the valleys, weaving an intricate path on the ground like silk. A silvery mist shimmered gracefully through the evening air, settling exhaustedly on various rivers' surfaces. The natural beauty of Alaska was something to behold indeed, despite the everlasting winds of ice that plagued it.
However foggy the air was, from the sky, anyone could see satisfyingly clearly down to the glacier-covered ground. Raven could even spot a small village down below, sparsely populated with people in heavy coats that seemed to drift down to the ice like ballroom dresses. She didn't think much about the people, nor the cold, but instead, her thoughts lingered on back home, her friends. A wave of emotion shot through her, forcing her to remember the past events. But the Goth teen merely shook the feeling away like she did so many times before, and sat again completely stoic in her seat. The erratic buzz of the plane's engine kept her from doing any real thinking- instead, it just made her more annoyed. And the howl of the raging winds penetrated the hull of the plane like paper, making it virtually impossible to fall asleep. Instead, she focused her time on viewing the landscape. Its beauty was something she'd always dreamed (though most of the time subconsciously) of seeing.
Just then, the plane slowed, and turned awkwardly, narrowly missing the snowy peak of a mountain. The passengers were thrown uncontrollably in different directions. Raven groaned as she was thrown forward, her head neatly colliding with the seat in front of her. Her seatmate, Kevin, who had been sleeping, slammed into Raven's side instead, creating a nice bruise on her arm. A few cries of pain came around from various places in the plane, but most everyone was fine.
"Oww.." Kevin said miserably, rubbing his head. A deep breaths of relief from all over the plane signified the plane stabilizing itself again.
"This is going to hurt tomorrow morning," Raven said gloomily as she inspected the red mark steadily growing on her arm. She winced in pain. "Forget tomorrow morning, this hurts now." She looked out her foggy window again as Kevin muttered his apologies. She wanted to lose herself in the Alaskan sky, it was so beautiful, and dark, at the same time, one of Raven's favorite mixtures. It reflected her personality, her soul. She let out a deep breath, and sat back in her chair.
"Attention, all passengers." A static-choked voice emanated from a rusty loudspeaker, causing Raven to flinch. She shook her head with disgust. Lately, everything was making her jump. And she was not usually disturbed by anything.
"We will be arriving shortly. Please secure your belongings now. The airline is NOT responsible for any personal items left behind. Thank you." The COM clicked off, leaving the drowsy passengers to gather their belongings. The plane rumbled with a jumbled assortment of noises.
Raven lazily reached for her suitcases. Kevin beat her to it.
"Here," he said with a tiny smile, holding her suitcases up. "It's the least I could do for bumping into you." Raven took the two without a word. Ever since she had yelled at him earlier, he had been only quiet and seemingly remorseful.
"Hey, um," Raven began quietly. "I'm sorry…for being, um, rude to you earlier on the flight. I've been kind of…out of it lately." She did her best to seem apologetic, but she doubted Kevin was buying it.
Kevin smiled, for the first time in what seemed like ages. "It's fine, it's fine. I did seem like I was intruding myself." His smile widened, and he stuck out his hand.
Raven grimaced, but still mustered up the courage to shake his hand loosely.
"Great. Then we're friends again, right?" he grinned. Raven nodded, and then turned her attention back to the window. But Kevin wasn't done.
"Admiring the landscape, huh? I've always loved scenery like this."
Raven looked back at the boy, with a startled expression driven into her face. "What? Really?"
"Yeah, you know. The Alaskan sky, the gigantic mountains. Sometimes, I think people would pay to see this view." He gave a half-hearted smile, and pulled a small camera out of the bag. "I take pictures of stuff like this." Out of his bag he then produced a small roll of film, which he handed to Raven. "I'm a photographer, you know."
She held the thin roll delicately in her hands, studying them closely. Images of mountain ranges and shimmering waterfalls filled Raven's dark eyes, and she smiled.
The telekinetic nodded again, returning the photos to Kevin. "Yes…" she murmured softly. " I've never really seen anything like it before." Maybe we do have something in common.
Kevin smiled, and rested back in his chair, obviously content.
.................................................
"What are you TALKING about?!"
"Sir, I said, the plane does NOT leave for another 25 minutes. KINDLY take a seat."
Beast Boy clenched his fists as he made his way back to his seat on the plane. "This is unbelievable. UNBELIEVABLE! Maybe I should just give this all up! Just go home again…"
He sighed, and then slumped down into his chair, defeated. "This is just great. I'm stuck here in Airlines Never land, while Raven is probably partying at some Alaskan party and forgetting me while getting drunk…" He muttered on incessantly for a while before bursting into a fit of giggles. "Yeah. Raven getting drunk. Hehehehe…"
He closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep. His hands ventured into his pockets in hopes of finding something, anything. His left hand closed in on something that felt oddly like…a circular phone… Beast Boy's eyes grew wide as he pulled his Teen Titans communicator out of his pocket. Of course! That was it!
The shape shifter held his breath as the communicator attempted to reach Raven. Five minutes later, a faint buzzing sound alerted him that a temporary stable connection had been established. "Yes!" he yelled triumphantly, as Raven's pale face flickered onto the small monitor. He studied her face for any reaction. Her eyebrows rose for a minute in surprise, but then lowered, and her face reverted back to normal. Stoic Raven. Beast Boy couldn't help but smile.
"Oh," she said nonchalantly. "You."
"Raven, I need to tell you something," said Beast Boy urgently to the screen. "I-I'm sorry about…"
Raven's eyes showed no interest. "Hurry up. I'm about to land." The monitor flickered precariously, and Beast Boy thought for a minute that he had lost the connection.
The shape-shifter took a breath. "I'm sorry," he whispered in a small voice. "About everything. I'm just so sorry."
"Now is not the time for apologies, Beast Boy. But just so we're clear. Why did you say that back then? At the gondola canal. I mean, do you really find it so hard just to be around me? I really just need to know why you said it." Her face now looked a little hurt.
Beast Boy swallowed at the memory, and his heart sank. But he knew he'd have to answer her.
"In the beginning, Raven," he explained cautiously. "It was just so hard for me to believe that we'd ever get together, you know? I mean, we're not your everyday couple."
"We're not a couple anymore."
"It was just so hard to believe," he continued weakly, ignoring her. "I always thought we had no chance…"
"No chance, Beast Boy?" came Raven's reply. She was irked now, her eyes showed it. "Everybody has a chance. Remember that for when you get another girl. Remember that."
"There won't be another girl," Beast Boy choked out. "That's what I'm trying to say, I'm sorry!" He banged the communicator on the small tray in front of him in frustration, inadvertently causing a few people to stare at him. He mumbled a quick apology then turned his attention back to the communicator to see Raven's eyes soften a little.
"I'm sorry…" he whispered.
"I don't want to talk to you anymore. Don't call me again."
Beast Boy opened his mouth, but was interrupted by a rather commanding female voice.
"I'm sorry sir, but I'm afraid we'll have to ask you to shut off your electronic device, as the plane will be starting in just a few minutes." A pair of strict eyes looked ominously at Beast Boy. The teen shivered uncontrollably at the sight of the attendant.
"No, no, just give me five more minutes, please I'm almost-"
"Sir, I have to ask you to shut off the device, or we'll have to confiscate it."
"No! I'm almost-"
"I'm sorry sir," said the attendant in a voice that was not sorry at all. "But I have to take this. We'll return it when you exit the plane." She took the Titans communicator without another word from Beast Boy, who was struck dumbfounded and found himself unable to utter another sound.
He blinked, and his vision instantly blurred, but he shook his head and then it was clear again. "Raven…"
.................................................
"Please remain seated until the plane has come to a complete stop."
"Please keep your arms and hands in the ride at all times. Do not get out until the ride has come to a complete stop."
Raven let a tiny smile arise. The attendant reminded her of the time when she had let herself be persuaded to go on a roller coaster. It was not a good memory, especially since Beast Boy had almost gotten sick in her face, but it was a memory to remember. If that made any sense. She took one final glimpse of the world from the air, and then prepared herself to land by closing her eyes and attempting to concentrate on a smooth landing.
It was over quickly. Before she knew it, the attendant was ushering the people off of the plane, while muttering things about airplane security. The telekinetic reached for her bags, only to find that she was one short.
"I could have sworn I brought three bags…" She looked over her seat from top to bottom, to no avail. She stood there, perplexed, until Kevin's voice shocked her back into reality.
"Come on," he beckoned. "Or you'll be stuck on the plane." Wouldn't that be nice.
Raven shook her head, but then proceeded to the plane's exit. There was nothing of any importance in the last suitcase anyway. So she stepped into the airport, where the welcoming smell of coffee lingered in the air. Looking around, she found that the airport was actually quite small, though somewhat quaint and homey. A few shops were placed here and there, and overall, the decorations were quite nice.
"Hey," Raven said to nobody in particular. "This airport is kind of…nice."
"Hello again!" greeted Kevin as he rushed to her side. "Like the airport?" He practically gleamed when Raven nodded. "I helped decorate it myself. It was an early job I took here. Well, I'm going to be off now."
"I'm going to stay here for a while, get accustomed with the people," said Raven, dropping her suitcases onto a seat. "And maybe have some coffee."
"Alright, I'll stay here then," said Kevin, placing his bag carefully next to Raven's. "After all, what're friends for? I can get you acquainted with some of the locals."
"Thanks. And do you know any places where I could stay?"
Kevin stared at her, dumbfounded. "You don't have a place to stay? Well, you could stay at a hotel. There's a good one, but it's pretty far away from here. I could take you there, but first I need to get some more film, and get this current film developed. I'll be back in about an hour and a half."
"Thanks, again." Raven chuckled. "It seems that I'm getting more and more indebted to you every passing moment."
Kevin nodded, and with a warm smile, he was off. Raven sighed, and then made herself comfortable in her chair. Maybe I can even get some sleep… She pulled her hood over her head, and closed her eyes, wanting to do nothing but breath the sweet scent of coffee. Thoroughly calm and relaxed, Raven drifted off to sleep.
90 minutes later, Raven woke up to find a large pair of eyes right up in her face. She rose sluggishly, blinking the sleep from her eyes, and letting them adjust to the sudden light. The eyes, she had predicted correctly, had belonged to Kevin.
"Hey! You're awake, finally." Kevin's face lit up as he saw her awaken. He thrust a raggedy bag into her hands. "I got this for you while I was getting my film developed." Raven gave the bag back, shaking her head.
"I don't need anything, really. Thank you, though," she stated quietly. Kevin looked hurt, but he replied, "This is something I know you'll like." He winked. "Trust me."
Raven kept a straight face, but inside, she was intrigued. "Kevin, I have everything that I need around me. Besides, no offense," she looked him in the eye. "But I don't think you know the kind of stuff I like." She stood, and began straightening out her cloak, which had been wrinkled quite terribly while she had been sleeping.
"Are you sure? I think it's something you really might love." Kevin's eyes danced mysteriously. "If you don't like it, I'll personally return it." He held out the bag teasingly.
Raven was now definitely interested. "Alright, you win," she said dully, expertly masking her interest.
Kevin beamed, and handed the bag to her. Raven curiously drew out a rectangular parcel. Her hands knew instantly what it was, a book of some kind. Now she was completely intrigued. She hastily unwrapped it, and gasped. She had pulled out an ancient book. She examined it closely. The book was black all over, the cover rough and ragged, and the edges of the book worn away. She ran her fingers across the book, feeling the rough edges and torn pages. The book had one thing wrong with it, however.
"Where's the title?" Raven inquired, her voice tense and filled with electricity.
"Open the book," Kevin commanded. Raven obeyed, and turned the page to find the title etched in the coarse page in a silvery material.
"A Dark Facade," she read softly. "Whoa…I love books like this…"
"So you like it then?" Kevin was obviously pleased with himself.
"Yes… How did you find this book?" Raven's eyes gleamed for the first time in a while. She turned to face Kevin, a small smile emerging.
"Found it in a bookstore back home. Been carrying it around with me ever since. Don't know why, I just liked it. I figured that it suits you more than it does me. Sorry about the condition." He turned red. "My pack's kind of messy."
"Well, thank you very much…Even though I don't have a dark facade," she reassured herself. Kevin smiled knowingly, and chuckled.
In a startling gesture, Raven embraced him. The telekinetic was initially surprised at her own courage, but slowly relaxed as Kevin let go. "Thanks, again." Maybe I can learn to lighten up sometimes…
"Hey," Raven said, suddenly realizing how long she had slept. "What time is it?"
Kevin shrugged. "I don't have a watch, but you can check the window over there by the lost and found department."
Raven swiftly reached the window and peered out into the outside world. It was usually quite dark all the time in Alaska, but Raven could still see the faint traces of the evening sun fade away into the black nothingness of the sky. Darkness shrouded everything like an everlasting shadow; the few patches of light that did show were soon extinguished and enveloped completely. Turning away from the window, Raven hurriedly returned back to Kevin.
"It's late," she informed him. "We best get going."
"Right," agreed Kevin, already heading to the exit. "Come on."
Raven braced herself for the cold, gripping her cloak tighter. In one fluid motion, Kevin pushed open the doors. It was nothing like she had expected.
A blast of what seemed like pure ice hit her square in the face, sending her reeling backwards. Even as she regained her balance, she was whipped by a torrent of wind and hail. Clutching her cloak even tighter, (although it did practically nothing for her) she followed Kevin as quickly as she could into the dark night, and also into the freezing winds that wreaked havoc for hours.
.................................................
Fifteen minutes earlier…
Beast Boy dashed down the ramp, slipping in and out through crowds of people disembarking the plane as well. Panting, he stopped, and hunched over, trying desperately to catch his breath. Unfortunately, the passing crowd was not too sympathetic for him.
"Owww…Hey watch it lady!" Beast Boy muttered under his breath. Just then, someone's suitcase slammed into his leg. With a yell, he collapsed on one knee to the floor, drawing the attention of several passersby.
"Sorry kid," mumbled the man whose suitcase had crippled him. Before Beast Boy could catch a glimpse of the man, he had disappeared into the crowd.
Gritting his teeth and trying to restrain himself from going after the guy, Beast Boy massaged his leg wildly. "Owww…" He crawled to a seat and pulled himself up. He took a few moments examining his leg before sitting back and sighing at the hopelessness of his situation. Unfortunately, he had little time to rest.
"Excuse me?" came a male voice. "Are you um…Beas- No that can't be right. Um, hang on for a moment, sir…" He fumbled with a list he had in his hands.
"Beast Boy?" supplied the shape-shifter dully. The man raised an eyebrow at the name, but replied, "Yes. Um, we have some bad news."
"We?" inquired Beast Boy, sitting up. "Who's 'we'?" He narrowed his eyes.
"We, the airlines," explained the man, who was obviously in a rush. "We regret to tell you that we have lost your suitcase and a few others as well in the baggage flight. It turns out they were left at back at the other airline, and they're being shipped over here as we speak. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we need you to stay here for baggage identification and sorting. This has never happened before, and you have our word that it will never happen again." The man looked at Beast Boy, who had his jaw wide open and was hyperventilating.
"You LOST Raven's- my suitcase!?!" Beast Boy yelled, causing the man to recoil slightly. "How could this have happened?!"
"We apologize again, sir. But in the meantime, it's recommended you stay here at the airport." With that, the man hurried away, leaving Beast Boy to tear out his hair in peace.
"I'm not going anywhere with this leg, anyway," the shape-shifter muttered. He sat back in the seat, and was just about to go to sleep, when he saw the biggest surprise of his life. It was Raven, less than a hundred paces away. Beast Boy's first instinct was to get up, and run as fast as he could over to her, but then he stopped. His heart fell. Raven was not alone- there was a teen, about his age. And Raven was embracing him, with a smile on her face. Beast Boy was struck speechless.
Half of him wanted to change into a lion and maul the guy. The other half said, "It's over, Beast Boy. Let it go." He buried his face in his hands. All of his hard work was for nothing. When he looked up again, Raven and the mysterious dude were gone. Defeated, he lay back and began to count the dots on the ceiling, afraid he might begin to cry at any moment.
Suddenly, a face blocked his view of the ceiling. "Hi," said the face. "How do you do?"
Beast Boy shot up in his chair, to come face to face with a girl staring warmly at him. "Um, hi," he greeted nervously. The mysterious girl nodded. He quizzically examined her from head to toe.
The girl had wavy brown hair that effortlessly made its way down just a little past her shoulders and fell carelessly along her chest. She was about as tall as Beast Boy himself (when he wasn't limping from his injury), but was dressed quite differently. She had donned a black sweater, and was wearing a pair of dark colored jeans that fluttered loosely along her legs. Her somewhat pale, but smooth complexion made her seem a bit timid, but her eyes were contradicted everything else about her. Her eyes bore a fierce resemblance to Raven's- they bore a fiery intensity that was filled was constant excitement and electricity. Overall, a dark appearance, but with a seemingly warm personality.
"So what are you doing here?" asked the girl, taking a seat across from Beast Boy. "It's awfully late to be stuck here." She smiled, and Beast Boy felt slightly better. It was truly miraculous- the girl's smile was so comforting, and yet he had never seen her before in his life. And her voice was strong, a business-type voice with a commanding tone. Beast Boy had truly never seen anyone like her before. It was astounding.
"Well, um, what's your name?" asked Beast Boy, still marveling at her smile.
The girl raised her eyebrows. "I'm sorry. I can't believe I forgot to tell you my name." She slowly stood up again, and held out her hand. "Hi. I'm Kami."
Beast Boy shook it, grateful to know her name. "I'm Beast Boy." Kami nodded and sat back down, resting comfortably in her seat. "So why are you out here so late?"
"The airport, uh, lost my suitcase," explained Beast Boy. "I'm stuck here for the next 90 minutes or so."
Kami's eyes lit up. "They lost mine as well. So I guess I'm stuck here with you." Beast Boy blinked.
"Not that it's bad or anything…" she said quickly after thinking. "I'm sorry. I've been in a bad mood ever since my baggage was lost." Beast Boy nodded in agreement.
"I came here to view the famous Northern Lights," Kami explained. "I'm a writer. My current novel has something to do with the Northern Lights, and I figured I should come down here and hopefully view it myself."
"What are the Northern Lights?" inquired Beast Boy curiously.
Kami gave him a strange look. "You don't know what they are?" Beast Boy shook his head, somewhat embarrassed by his lack of knowledge.
"It's all right. The Northern Lights are another name for a rare nature phenomenon, the aurora borealis. It's a marvelous collection of colors floating in the sky. Many people live to see these Northern Lights, but few ever do. I came up here hoping to see them before I leave." She turned her head, and gazed out the window, looking longingly at the night sky.
"Wow…" marveled Beast Boy. "I'd want to see these colors too. But I just don't have the time. I'm sorry."
"Really? Not enough time?" teased Kami. "You don't have anything to do in the next-" She checked her watch. "-73 minutes. Why not come with me? Who knows, there might even be an aurora borealis right now."
"Are you serious?"
"Sure," she replied. "We could even call it a date."
Beast Boy choked. "A date?" He stared, bewildered at Kami's boldness.
"Why not?" asked Kami. "You seem like a nice guy. And plus, if you turn out to be a jerk, I can always beat you up." She grinned, and then chuckled. Beast Boy was unsure whether she was kidding or not. Either way, he was quickly getting to like her.
A million thoughts swarmed through Beast Boy's head. Is it really over with Raven? She was the one who was hugging the other guy…
"Are you okay?" Kami's voice brought Beast Boy back to reality. The shape-shifter nodded vigorously. "I'll go. But give me a couple more minutes, okay? I'll meet you by the door." Beast Boy shrugged and grinned.
Kami smiled. "It's a date."
.................................................
Only one more chapter to go! I honestly have no clue when I'm going to update. But keep those reviews coming!
PS. There will be a VERY unexpected twist at the end…
ReViEw!