Disclaimer: I don't own anything affiliated with "That's So Raven." I don't.

Chapter 10

Chelsea and Raven arrived on Raven's front steps just before sunset. Chelsea looked up. "Wow, I haven't been here in so long."

Raven looked at her. "Are you kidding? Where I come from, you are a regular fixture at my house."

Chelsea cast a sideways glance at Raven as they headed up the steps and to Raven's door. Just as Raven was about to put the key in, Tanya opened the door. Well, Raven's mother didn't look any different. That was a relief.

"Raven Baxter, where have you been? That Muffy girl called and said that you felt sick and—who is this?"

Tanya waited for Raven's response, tapping her foot on the metal door frame. Raven looked from Chelsea to Tanya and then back. "Oh! Oh, Mom, you remember Chelsea Daniels?"

It felt weird introducing them.

Tanya eased up a bit. "Chelsea Daniels? Well, it has been a long time. I haven't seen you since you were five I think. How are you?"

"I've…been better Mrs. Baxter." Chelsea stated uncomfortably.

"Oh yes, I'm sorry about Eddie. I heard yesterday. He was such a wonderful boy."

Chelsea nodded.

"Well, come in." Tanya said, stepping aside as Raven and Chelsea entered. "Do you girls want anything? A drink maybe?"

"No thanks." Chelsea said quietly.

"If its cool Mom, me and Chels are just gonna go up to my room." Raven said, reaching for Chelsea's hand, but Chelsea shied away. She was still iffy about the whole thing.

It hurt Raven a little to see her friend so guarded. But, there were bigger problems that needed to be solved.

Tanya nodded. "Okay. You girls just call me if you need anything."

Raven smiled. "We will."

Then, they headed up the stairs to Raven's room. Chelsea stepped in and looked around. Raven sat on her bed and Chelsea sat on the desk chair.

"So, where's the candle?" Chelsea asked, looking everywhere but at Raven.

"Why?"

"Two reasons. One, so I know that you might be telling the truth and two, because maybe if you just light it and make a wish, things will turn back to 'normal.'" Chelsea made quotation marks with her hands.

"Oh, okay." Raven said, standing up. "But I threw it away!"

Ravenran down the stairs and into the kitchen. She pulled the lid off the garbage can quickly, but there was a fresh bag in the can. Raven looked there just in case, but the bag was so new that it was empty. Maybe the garbage was still outside, Raven thought as she threw open the back door and headed for the garbage cans.

What she found was her mother waving off the garbage men.

"NO! WAIT!" Raven screamed, running. But it was too late. The garbage truck was gone, and the candle went with it.

"MOM,NO!"

"What? What is it?" Tanya asked, frightened at her daughter's outburst.

"I accidentally threw away something very, VERY important! Now it's gone…" Raven sighed, near tears.

"What was it?"

"It was…" How was she supposed to explain to her mother that she threw away her magic candle? "…part of my project."

"Oh, honey. You were just a few seconds too late. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No. It's okay. I'll…just have to find another way." Raven moped, going back inside. When she reached the living room, Corey was sitting on the couch and Chelsea was slipping out the front door.

"Chelsea, where are you going? Chels—" Raven called out just as the door shut.

"Who was that?" Corey asked, his eyes transfixed on a video game.

"That was Chelsea. Did she say anything to you?"

"Yeah, she told me to tell you goodbye and don't chase after her." Corey mumbled and then hissed "Yes!" as he killed yet another man-eating alien.

Raven closed her eyes and drooped her shoulders in defeat. Things were getting worse by the second.

Just then, Tanya walked in. "Oh, did Chelsea leave?"

Raven nodded.

"Well, I hope she comes by more often. It's too bad you girls drifted apart. I always liked Chelsea and Eddie more than the girls you're hanging out with now. It's a shame about Eddie."

Raven nodded again. A big lump formed in her throat.

"Do you want something to eat honey? I could whip up something for you." Tanya asked, oblivious to Raven's discomfort at the moment.

"Where's Dad?" Raven finally managed to ask.

"He's still at work. Today's Thursday, your Dad has to close the warehouse today."

Raven nodded and then said, "What? Warehouse? What warehouse? Isn't Dad…working at the restaurant?" Raven had to be careful of what she said. If she blurted out that Victor owned his own restaurant and that wasn't true here, things could get ugly.

Tanya looked at Raven strangely for a second. "No…your Dad was fired from that job years ago, and found work at the warehouse down on Mission Street. Are you sure you're feeling okay Raven?"

Raven remembered having a vision about her father being fired from his job. So she, Chelsea and Eddie went to that restaurant (in disguise of course) and complained that they needed to be served by "Victor."

Victor thought he was so great that he actually quit and got an idea to make his own restaurant.

But, since Raven wasn't psychic in this world, she figured that that never happened. And now her father was working in a warehouse…something that didn't even seem culinary-related.

Raven shook her head. "No, no I don't think so. I'm just gonna go to bed okay?"

Raven ran up the stairs before Tanya even had a chance to respond.