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

Chapter 25

"What? What happened to Eddie?"

Chlesea stared at Raven (in the way that Raven usually stared at her) " Nothing. He went to the bathroom…there he is!" Chelsea said, pointing straight down the hall way.

Raven followed Chelsea's finger and almost screamed in delight. There he was, his baggy pants and long t-shirt flapping around him as he strutted down the hall way. Eddie was walking toward them, weaving in and out of the crowd of students. Raven thought that her heart had stopped for a minute as she struggled to intake air.

"Hey Rae, what spell…" Chelsea started, but Raven wasn't paying attention.

"EDDIE!" Raven shouted as she let go of Chelsea and ran down the hallway.

Students were pushed out of her way, others sort of dodged her as she ran to Eddie.

"Raven? What is—ahh!" Eddie shouted as Raven tackled him and they both fell to the floor. Some students laughed and pointed, others just walked by, and a few stepped over them.

"Oh my God, Eddie, I thought I would never see you again!" Raven squealed happily as she lay on top of Eddie, hugging him as best as she could on the floor.

Eddie laughed nervously beneath Raven. "I just went to the bathroom. Get off of me!" Eddie shouted, pushing Raven off of him and getting up.

Raven got up too and pulled Eddie into another hug. "Ouch Rae! I think I heard my spine snap!"

By this time, Chelsea had caught up with them. "Raven, you're doing the back-breaking hug thing again."

Raven reluctantly let go and Eddie stumbled back just like Chelsea. He rubbed his back in pain. "Chels, what is up with her?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Chelsea said as they headed out the door.

Raven ran between them, throwing her arms on both of their shoulders. Eddie and Chelsea winced at the contact, but they didn't move away. "I have had the worst couple of days in my life!"

"Yeah I know. Midterm week was a killer! That history test murdered me! What about you Rae?" Chelsea asked as they headed down the steps.

"Oh, I failed it." Raven said, dismissing it as though it was nothing. There were more important things in her life.

"Yeah, I mean, how the heck am I supposed to remember all of the 'Fourteen Points?' There are fourteen of them!" Chelsea wailed.

Raven smiled. She remembered Chelsea saying that.

Eddie shrugged. "I think that was the only test I passed this week."

"Well, at least you have something to look forward to Rae," Chelsea hummed in a sing-song voice, "your birthday is just one day away!"

"Is it?" Raven asked dreamily.

"Oh yeah, girl!" Eddie exclaimed. "What do you want for your birthday?"

"I don't need any presents. You guys are the best gift a girl could have." Raven exclaimed, and both Eddie and Chelsea looked at her as if she had three heads. Chelsea chose to move on.

"What, Eddie, you didn't get Rae anything yet?" Chelsea exclaimed. "My gift was ready like weeks ago."

"Well, not all of us can plan so far ahead," Eddie snipped playfully. "Right Rae?"

Eddie called out to a boy from class as Chelsea rolled her eyes. Raven gasped. She could feel herself being pulled into a vision. She would have squealed with happiness if she could.

Eddie walked backwards toward the parking lot, saying something to Raven and Chelsea as he left.

Suddenly, a shiny black car came flying out of nowhere and sped toward Eddie at an alarming rate.

As Raven came out of the vision, she jumped up and down, clapped and screamed. "Yes! They're back!"

Bianca, Muffy, and Loca were nearby, their attentions turning from a very frightened freshman to Raven, who was dancing in the middle of the schoolyard.

"What?" Chelsea asked and then whispered. "Rae, did you have a vision?"

"Gotta go!" Raven shouted as she ran down the steps.

Eddie was talking to some guy, and turned to Raven and Chelsea, waving to them and backing off slowly. "Guys, I'll see you later okay?"

"EDDIE, LOOK OUT NOW!" Raven shouted, but she was smiling. She knew that she was going to get to him just in time.

Then, just like the last time, a shiny black car came flying out of nowhere, speeding toward Eddie, who stopped after Raven screamed.

"I'm coming!" Raven said as closed the distance between her and Eddie.

Chelsea screamed (just like last time) as Raven tackled Eddie just moments before the car would have connected. Both went down, rolling on the pavement, a mere inches from the car's tires (again, just like last time).

When they finally stopped rolling, Raven lay on top of Eddie, breathing heavily. Chelsea was the first to reach them, nearly hysterical.

"Are you guys okay?" Chelsea asked frantically, looking down at both Raven and Eddie.

"Yep." Raven stated, smiling.

"You know, this can't become a habit." Eddie said. "Get off of me!" He shouted as he once again pushed Raven off of him.

They both got up and dusted themselves off. A crowd of students had formed around them, but it wasn't nearly as large as it was the first time. Raven looked up toward Bianca, Muffy and Loca.

The three girls stared, but then returned their attentions to the still trapped and still very frightened freshman.

Raven grabbed both Eddie and Chelsea's hands and said, "Come on. Let's get out of here."

"You saved my life Rae. Thank you." Eddie said as they walked home.

"No problem Eddie."

"Well, that was kind of close," Eddie said, "And the crowd of kids, I thought for sure that one of them would have found out you were psychic."

Raven scoffed. "Phff. Who cares if anyone finds out?"

"But Rae, aren't you afraid that you'll be the freak at school?" Chelsea asked, puzzled.

"I would rather be the freak any day. Being normal is overrated, no offense." Raven said and both Eddie and Chelsea smiled and shrugged, indicating that no offense was taken.

" I'm just glad to be here with my two best friends." Raven said, hooking her arms around Eddie's and Chelsea's arms.

"Speaking of here, where are we?" Chelsea asked, looking around.

Raven had made them take the long way home and she stopped just in front of "Curly's Magic Shop."

"It's a magic shop." Raven said as the three looked through the window.

Raven slipped out from between Eddie and Chelsea and moved closer to the door. She saw Samantha bent over a large book. Suddenly, Samantha looked up. Raven waved.

Samantha looked puzzled, and then saw Eddie and Chelsea looking at Raven in wonder. Samantha smiled. The spell had worked.

"Okay?" Samantha mouthed, giving a thumbs-up in question.

Raven nodded wildly, giving her own thumbs up. "Thank you."

Samantha smiled again and closed the book. Then she mouthed "You're welcome," to Raven and headed for the back room.

Raven slowly backed up towards Eddie and Chelsea, linking arms with them once more.

"Who was that?" Eddie asked, still looking in the window as they began to walk down the street.

"It's a long story that I would love to tell you guys as soon as we get to my house." Raven said and Eddie and Chelsea exchanged puzzled glances.

There were a few seconds of comfortable silence (which Raven felt very happy to experience again) and then Eddie spoke up.

"So Rae, what do you want for your birthday?"

Chelsea began to scold Eddie again, and the two started to playfully argue. Raven laughed as they bickered back and forth.

The three best friends walked down the busy streets of San Francisco, happily enjoying each others' company.

Samantha put the book back on its shelf and sighed in relief and contentment. Suddenly, she heard the bell on the front door ring. Coming from the back room, she saw a woman around forty enter the store.

"Hi, can I help you?"

The woman looked at Samantha and smiled, but worry was plastered all over her face.

"You're upset" Samantha said. "Is there anything in here that could help you out?"

The woman looked around as Samantha took her place behind the counter.

Then, the lady said, "I don't think anything can help me. I just got fired, my mother is coming to visit, and my boyfriend just broke up with me. To top it off, I'm turning 40 today."

"Oh, so today's your birthday?" Samantha asked.

The woman nodded. "You wouldn't happen to have any magic birthday candles would you?" The woman's tone was sarcastic as she laughed bitterly; she had no idea that there was such a thing.

Samantha bent down and opened the glass case, picking up the small cardboard box. A lone candle rolled around inside. She studied it for a minute, and then threw it in the small garbage pail behind the counter. Standing up, she said:

"Sorry, we don't sell those anymore."

The End.

Author's Note: Hey guys. Well, that's the end of the story. I hope everyone enjoyed it. There is one more chapter though, and that's my "Thanks to All" chapter. That's coming tomorrow. Well, ta-ta for now.

w.t.s.