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

Chapter 15

A few hours later, Raven quickly dialed Chelsea's cell phone. After two rings, Chelsea picked up.

"Yello!"

"Chelsea hey, it's me."

"Me who?"

"Raven."

"Oh…hi."

"Is this a bad time?"

"No. I just got home like five minutes ago. So…"

There were a few moments of awkward silence.

"Do you wanna meet somewhere? I don't want to talk to you over the phone like this."

"Uh…I guess so. Where?"

"Do you know that pizza place down on Main Street?"

"Yeah."

"Meet me there in like, half an hour?"

"Okay. Fine. I'll see you then."

"All right, cool. See you."

"Yeah."

Then, Chelsea hung up.

Raven shook off the weirdness of that call and grabbed her jacket. Checking herself out in the mirror quickly and grabbing some cash off of her desk, Raven quickly jogged down the stairs and went for the front door. Raven opened the door and stepped outside, and something caught her eye from the right. Looking over slowly, Raven could see the very top of Loca's head just beyond her porch. She could tell by the headband that Loca liked to wear sometimes.

Sniffling and coughing loudly, Raven opened and closed her mailbox and shouted. "Well, I guess no mail today…ACHOO!"

Then, she went back inside, closed the door, and made her way to the back door.

Muffy, Loca, and Bianca all stood up. "Well, that didn't work. What are we going to do now?" Muffy asked, her eyebrow raised in annoyance.

"She'll come back out." Bianca whispered harshly. "And we're not leaving this spot until she does. And then we'll follow her."

Ray's Pizza wasn't packed with people, but it was crowded enough. Raven got there before Chelsea, so she grabbed a seat, ordered for both herself and Chelsea, and waited. After what seemed like an eternity, Chelsea was standing by the front door, scanning the crowd for Raven.

Raven stood and waved her arm. Chelsea noticed and headed over. Sitting down, before she even got to say a word, the waitress came over with two slices of pizza and two sodas.

"Who's got the vegetarian slice?" The waitress asked dryly, chewing her gum.

"That's for her." Raven said quickly and Chelsea looked puzzled.

The waitress put the slices and sodas down and then left without saying another word.

"Um…thanks."

"You like vegetarian pizza right? You die for it in my world."

"Yeah, it's my favorite." Chelsea said, picking a piece of broccoli off the slice and popping it into her mouth.

Raven sipped her soda. She really didn't know what to say anymore. Small talk was never a problem between them in her world. Raven, Chelsea and Eddie always had stuff to say to each other, even if it was about nothing at all.

After eating in silence for a while, Chelsea(completely shocking Raven) spoke up. "So..um…what is your world like? I mean…"

"It's…" Raven couldn't fine the right word so she just said, "Better."

Chelsea's forehead scrunched in question, sending the message that she wanted Raven to elaborate.

"Well, and I'm pretty sure that I've already said this at least once, you, me and Eddie are best friends. We get into a fair amount of trouble, but it always works out okay."

"What was Eddie like in…your world?" Chelsea hesitated. Maybe she didn't want to know.

"Eddie is the best. He's wacky, he's fun and he loves music. I don't think I've ever met anyone who loves music as much as he does. Eddie D J's all the time and he's got his own show on Bayside's KUDA radio."

Chelsea smiled a little, but tears formed in her eyes. "Wow…that's Eddie. D.J. Eddie T."

"Really?" Raven whispered with intense emotion, her own tears forming.

Chelsea nodded.

"Eddie made me a mixed C.D. for my birthday. It had all of my favorite songs on it. I listened to it at least ten times that night."

A tear escaped Chelsea's damp eyelids and slid down her cheek. "Eddie made me one too. I know it was hard for him because he never liked rock music…but he made it just the same."

Chelsea swiped the tear off of her cheek quickly and breathed to regain her composure. She had promised herself years ago that she would never let Raven see her cry. Even if this wasn't the Raven she knew and hated, the promise had to be kept all the same.

Raven dabbed her eyes with the rough pizzeria napkins. "You are very different in my world."

"What?"

Raven tilted her head in thought. "Well, you're appearance and attitude are different."

"What are you talking about?"

Raven shrugged. "Well, in my world, you don't like rock music. Well, really, you like all kinds of music. But you don't dress…like that. Not that there's anything wrong with the way you dress." Raven didn't want to offend Chelsea.

"You're not so angry in my world…but I guess it's kinda my fault that you're angry here."

Chelsea just stared at Raven.

"You're…the best friend a girl could have. You always back me up, even if it's ridiculous. You always help me through anything. Like Devon."

"Devon Carter?" Chelsea asked, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

Raven nodded. "Devon and I were in love…"

As Raven droned on about her and Devon, Chelsea began to think back a few months. Chelsea remembered Raven (well, the Raven of this world) forcing Devon to go out with her. Alana, Muffy, and Loca basically threatened him if he didn't. Devon was terribly unhappy. Who wouldn't be? Being forced to go out with someone you don't like had to be hard for anyone. Devon missed school a lot just to avoid Raven and her posse. Chelsea kind of felt bad for him, but it turned out better in the end. He was lucky enough to move away.

"…I was crushed when he moved. But, you and Eddie helped me through it. You guys brought me ice cream and we hung out all the time. You took me out all the time, even when I didn't feel like going, just to get my mind off of Devon."

"That sounds…really nice."

"That is why I have to get back there. Even if Serena puts the article in the newspaper and I'm the freak for the rest of my life, I have to make everything right again."

They finished eating, paid at the register, and then began walking back to Chelsea's house. As they walked, Chelsea asked, "S-so…in your world…am…am I happy?"

Raven smiled as she thought about the Chelsea she knew. "The happiest. Almost nothing brings you down girl. Well, except the mistreatment of animals."

"Your world sounds so much better than this one. Why would you wish it away?"

"I just wanted to be normal. I didn't want to be a freak. It was stupid and wrong, but I'm gonna fix it."

"So, the candle thing was a bust, huh?"

"Yes, I threw it out like a moron. Hey, why did you leave like that?"

"I felt weird. I had to go…sorry."

"It's cool."

They had reached Chelsea's house and sat down on the stoop for a bit.

"I-I went back to the magic shop today, but it was closed. It's reopening tomorrow…do you wanna come with me?"

"When?"

"I was hoping to be there the minute it opened. So, around eight I suppose?"

Chelsea seemed to think about it for a minute. "Okay. So, I guess you can meet me by my house and we'll go together."

Raven smiled brightly for the second time that day. "Sounds like a plan!"

They both stood up. As Chelsea walked up the stairs, she said, "You know, this has got to be the weirdest thing I've ever been through. Magic birthday candles and other worlds…but it's kind of cool."

Raven nodded slightly. "See you tomorrow."

Chelsea nodded and then headed up the stairs.

Raven walked home happily. Thing were certainly looking up. As she passed the bushes by her neighbor's front yard, she noticed three sleeping teenagers…Bianca, Muffy, and Loca.

Quickly tip-toeing past them and up to her door, Raven laughed a little at their stupidity. Opening her door quietly, Raven stepped inside and then turned.

"ACHOO!"

Then she closed the door.

Bianca, Muffy and Loca awoke with a start.