You, Yourself, and Thee

Chapter 2

Midnight Snack

It was midnight. Raven hurried out of her room to the kitchen. She didn't like to admit it, but ever since Slade's robotic drones attacked the Tower, it gave her an ever so slight case of the creeps to walk around at night.

You're being silly Raven. Slade is gone. There's nothing to worry about.

Raven entered the kitchen area and went straight for the fridge.

You should have eaten dinner; instead of telling them you weren't hungry.

She opened up the fridge, and its light cut through the darkness surrounding her. It comforted her, in a strange way.

"You hungry, too?" Raven jumped at the sound of Cyborg's voice.

"Cyborg! Don't do that!" she whispered.

"Oh…were you scared?" Cyborg laughed as he stepped into the refrigerator's light.

"It's not funny!" Raven hissed. "And you just…startled me."

The half-man, half-machine laughed again. "You were scared! Just admit it. Remember what happened the last time you were scared and didn't say anything?"

Raven sighed. "Yes, I remember."

"Good. Now say it."

"I might have been…a little scared…" Raven clenched her teeth as she said it.

"Feel better?" Cyborg asked.

"A little," answered Raven.

"Now once you tell us what you've been hiding, you'll feel like a million bucks!"

Raven raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"C'mon Raven, anyone can tell you've been hiding something. You've been shutting yourself up in your room more often, and the last time you did that was-"

"-Was when Malchior showed up," Raven finished for him.

"Exactly. Now what is it?" Cyborg smiled.

"…Nothing…"

"Raven."

"It's nothing! Don't stick your nose into other people's businesses!" Raven was fuming. The little light in the fridge exploded, leaving them in the dark.

They weren't in the dark for long, because the lights turned on in the kitchen.

A groggy Beast Boy walked in. "What's with all the noise?"

"I was just getting a snack," Cyborg and Raven both said in unison.

"Could you be a little quieter? Some of us actually ate when we were supposed to," he glared at Raven, "and are trying to get some sleep."

"I'm sorry," said Cyborg. "I really don't consider tofu steak to be food."

"You guys just can't appreciate the tastes of a finer palate," Beast Boy said as he stuck his nose up.

"This from the guy who licks himself," said Raven in a deadpan voice.

"Hey! I shower!" Beast Boy said as Cyborg rolled on the floor laughing. "That was just one time!"

"Dude, she was serious?" asked a disgusted Cyborg.

"Don't try to change the subject! You guys shouldn't be making so much noise!"

"You're one to talk," said Robin as he entered the scene.

"Oh, Robin! Hi!" said a nervous Beast Boy.

"What's going on?" Robin demanded.

"Well, they started it!" Beast Boy pointed at Cyborg and Raven.

"I don't care who started it. Let's just get back to bed. We need as much sleep as we can get." Robin started back to his room.

Beast Boy waited until Robin was gone. "Really now, what were you guys doing?"

"Getting a snack," said Raven.

"And I was trying to find out whatever she's hiding." Raven tried to elbow Cyborg in the ribs, which didn't work too well.

"I think I know what it is," said Beast Boy with a devilish grin as Raven nursed her elbow.

"What is it?" asked Cyborg eagerly. Raven was drawing a finger across her throat and looking menacingly at Beast Boy.

"When she goes into her room, she plays with stuffed animals!"

Cyborg looked disappointed. "That's it?"

Raven looked relieved. "Um yeah, that's my big secret. Now that you guys know…um, don't tell anyone…and stop bothering me!" Raven hurried back to her room.

"She's not telling us everything," whispered Cyborg. "Does she really play with stuffed animals?"

"Well, she doesn't as much play with them a much as she hugs them, cries, and says stuff like, "They won't understand," over and over again."

Cyborg thumped Beast Boy on the head. "You idiot! Something's obviously wrong! We got to do something!"

"I just want to get back to bed, and deal with this in the morning," said Beast Boy as he yawned and walked away.

Cyborg shook his head. He eventually looked in the direction Raven had gone and said, "We might be more understanding than you think, Raven…"

TO BE CONTINUED…