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

Author's Note: Hey guys, I'm back! Vacation was fun, but now it's back to the story. And since you all waited ever so patiently, I'm downloading two chapters for you! So, I hope it hasn't lost it's steam and I can't wait to read your reveiws. Thanks again guys.

w.t.s.

Chapter 19

"Uh…hey Loca." Raven laughed nervously. Then she began to sniffle a little, but Loca put her hand up, stopping Raven abruptly.

"Stop. Just stop. I know you're not sick. You've been lying to us for days! And now you're ditching us for this freak?" Loca yelled, pointing at Chelsea, who shot daggers with her glare.

"Chelsea is not a freak!" Raven yelled back.

"What is up with you Raven? Why are you acting so weird?"

"Maybe she's finally acting normal." Chelsea muttered and Loca stepped up to her.

"I don't remember asking you loser." Loca tried to stare Chelsea down, but Chelsea returned the glare, standing her own ground. Loca cracked the knuckles on her right hand. "I ought to take you down right now." She said, balling her hand into a fist and raising it.

Raven grabbed Loca's arm. "No! Listen, the reason…the reason that I'm hanging out with Chelsea is…"

Raven scanned her mind for an excuse, but she was coming up blank. Loca ripped her arm away from her grasp. "Well, I'm waiting."

Raven stammered along, blinking wildly and rubbing the back of her neck. "Th-the reason is…"

Chelsea sighed. "We're working on a project together."

"Yes! Yes. We're working on a project together! A-and I didn't want to tell you guys because…because I thought you would make fun of me."

Loca smiled, and it seemed for a moment that she believed Raven, but then she frowned. "Wait…you don't have any classes with her. What kind of project is this?"

"Uh, um…community service! Yeah, it's a project for our community that I-I need for credit to-to graduate." Raven said, silently praying that Loca would understand.

"A-and, Chelsea has to do it too, so we have to work together…unfortunately." She had to make it as believable as possible.

To make it more realistic, Chelsea quickly added. "Well don't think that I'm happy with the pair-up either! There is nothing I can think of more horrible on this earth than working with you. I would rather run out into the middle of traffic--"

Raven snapped her head toward Chelsea and whispered. "Laying it on a little thick..."

"So…so that's it? You're with Daniels because you have to do a project with her?"

Raven nodded and Chelsea rolled her eyes.

Loca sighed heavily in relief. "Man, boss. I thought you were ditching us! I was ready to leave our group!"

"Yes well…you don't have to worry any more." Raven said, smiling falsely, patting Loca on the back. "Now…why don't you go tell Muffy and Bianca? Where are they anyway?"

"There over on your stoop," Loca said, pointing to Chelsea, "waiting for you guys to come out. I'll go tell them right now."

Then, Loca grabbed Raven into a tight hug, causing Raven to flinch a little. Luckily, Loca didn't notice. "Glad to have you back boss."

Raven smiled again, rubbing her back a little. The hug was kind of painful.

Then, Loca ran off.

Raven turned to Chelsea. "You'd rather run into the middle of traffic?"

Chelsea shrugged. "Well…I had to make it believable."

Raven shook her head and laughed. "Come on. Let's go to my house. You can stay over."

"Oh, my mom is going to love that."

"Can't you lie to her and tell her you're staying at another friend's house?"

Chelsea shook her head. "The only friend I had…was Eddie."

"Oh." Raven lowered her head.

Chelsea shrugged a little, but you could tell the pain was there. "Don't worry about it. I'll just tell her the truth and deal with it later."

"You know, you really are a great friend…in both worlds."

"Thanks." Chelsea whispered, playing with a button on her jacket.

Bianca filed her nails angrily and Muffy fiddled with the feather on her pen. They had been sitting there for an hour and nobody had come outside. They hadn't said a word to each other either. The only noise was Bianca's heavy breathing and the occasional passing car.

Muffy looked up from her pen and saw Loca jogging back to them. "Bianca, look."

Bianca followed Muffy's gaze, and raised her eyebrow in question. "Hmmm…finally coming to her senses huh?"

Muffy smiled. Maybe the group wasn't over after all. The girls stood up as Loca met them.

"So, you come crawling back to us?" Bianca said viciously.

"No. I just talked to Raven. The reason she's with Daniels is because they're working on a project together."

"Oh…oh! Good. That's good news!" Muffy exclaimed happily.

"Loca, you idiot. Rae doesn't have any classes with the freak." Biancaspat venomously.

"Yeah I know!" Loca argued her attitude showing. "It's a community service project that they have to do for graduation. Anyways, does it matter? She's not ditching us, so we don't have anything to worry about."

"Can we go home now?" Muffy asked Bianca, who seemed lost in thought.

"Bianca, we're going." Loca said, and Bianca snapped out of it.

"Whatever. See ya." Bianca said and walked off.

Bianca steamed as she walked away. Those two weren't any help at all. Community service project my butt, Bianca thought to herself. Raven was lying, and Muffy and Loca were too stupid to see through it. If Bianca wanted to find out what was up with Raven, she would have to do it herself.