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

Chapter 19

Raven bounded down the stairs for breakfast, smiling brightly at the rest of her family, who were running around the kitchen in the usual morning frenzy.

"Morning everyone!" She practically sang.

"Morning sweetheart," Victor said, flipping a perfect pancake on to a plate. "Pancakes for breakfast."

"Great!" Raven exclaimed, kissing her father on the cheek, startling him.

"Well, aren't we in a happy mood?" Tanya said, half-laughing and Raven hugged her, surprising her more.

"Yeah, aren't we in too happy a mood, considering the yelling and two week punishment we received last night?" Cory asked, trying to be a killjoy. But nothing was bringing Raven down.

"Yes, we are in a happy mood, even though our little bratty brother is trying to bring us down. And if he continues, I will kiss him in front of everyone when I drop him off at school."

Raven stared at Cory; her face was all smiles, but her eyes told him she meant business. Cory stuck his tongue out at Raven and left the table.

Victor handed two pancakes on a plate to Raven and she thanked him, sitting at the table and covering them in syrup.

"So, you seem cheerful this morning, is there any particular reason?" Tanya asked, pouring herself and Raven a glass of orange juice.

Raven shrugged. "Nope. Look, I know I've been acting a little down lately, but I think things are gonna get better very soon."

"Why is that?" Victor said from the stove.

"I don't know." Raven said, cutting into the pancakes and pulling out a small triangle. "I just have this feeling that they are."

Raven put the piece in her mouth, savoring the taste. It was the best piece of pancake she had ever had in her life. She gobbled the rest very quickly, while Victor and Tanya shared a relieved glance.

Eddie was waiting by Raven's locker when she arrived at school. "Eddie, my man, what's up? What's happening? What is going on?"

"Just wanted to know the verdict and sentencing. But judging by that greeting, I'd say you got off easy."

"Wrong! I'm guilty as charged and sentenced to two weeks in my bedroom with an additional four weeks of dishwashing and laundry service."

"Ouch."

"No, it's all good. I think I'll get time off for good behavior."

"Nice."

Raven opened her locker quickly and shoved her book bag in, taking her binder and History textbook out afterward.

"Hi guys." A soft voice called from the other side of her opened locker door, and Raven felt a tingle move up and down her spine. There was a quick waft of strawberry fragrance; Raven closed her eyes and let the aroma surround her.

"Hey Chels." Eddie greeted.

Raven closed her locker and turned around, leaning on it. "Hey."

"Hi." Chelsea could feel her cheeks getting hot. "How long are you in for?"

"Two weeks, but I'm hoping for a reduced sentence." Raven said, smiling at the fact that Chelsea was blushing.

Chelsea wrinkled her forehead, rolling her eyes a little and smiling. "Listen, do you have the History notes for the past couple of days? I need to catch up. I got Science, English and Math covered. I just need History and Spanish, but I can wait one more day for Spanish.

"Uh, sure." Raven said, going through her binder. "I got all but yesterday's."

"I got yesterday's Chels." Eddie said, flipping his notebook open.

"You want them now or later?"

"Later I guess. You wanna meet me in the library during lunch?"

"Sure." Raven nodded.

"I can't." Eddie said. "I'm eating lunch with Chantel...well, I'm watching Chantel eat lunch. But, I'll give the notes to Rae and you can both copy them."

"Okay, cool." Chelsea said. Then, the bell rang. Eddie started off to class, meeting up with Chantel by her locker. They walked ahead of Chelsea and Raven.

Raven leaned in toward Chelsea and whispered in her ear. "You're blushing."

"Yeah." Chelsea replied, embarassed.

"It's cute."

They walked together in silence for a little while, then Chelsea whispered. "I'm glad Eddie isn't coming to the library. It'll give us a chance to talk. I don't think it can wait two weeks."

Raven nodded in agreement and they walked into the classroom.

Raven walked into the library, scanning it quickly for Chelsea. Chelsea was sitting at the small square table in the far right corner of the library, by the old periodicals, where almost nobody went.

"Perfect." Raven whispered as she walked toward the redhead.

Chelsea looked up from her notebook when Raven got to the table. She smiled shyly as Raven sat down. "Hey." She whispered. "Got the notes?"

Raven held up her binder. "Yeah, now, you might want to pace yourself, there are a lot. You don't want a hand cramp."

Chelsea nodded in mock seriousness. "Yes, sir."

Both girls giggled, and received their first warning glare from a passing librarian. Raven gave her an apologetic look and sat down. "Okay, I'll copy Eddie's first while you're copying mine and then you can copy Eddie's."

"Sounds like a plan."

Raven handed her binder to Chelsea, leaving a few pieces of looseleaf out for herself. Both girls scribbled away in silence, each one looking up at the other at different times.

Suddenly, Chelsea dropped her pen and began to rub her hand quickly, her face scrunching in pain. Raven shook her head. "Hand cramp?"

Chelsea nodded shaking the pain off.

"See now, I warned you."

Chelsea smiled, opening and closing her hand rapidly.

"Well, I'm just about done." Raven said, copying the last few sentences of Eddie's notes. "How far did you get?"

"Almost finished. I think I'm gonna take a break."

"Okay." Raven replied, looking around the library. They were all alone in the corner. Everyone else was out of earshot if they whispered. "S-so. What are we going to do?"

"What do you mean?" Chelsea asked, shaking her hand some more.

"You said we needed to talk about last night."

"Yeah. About that, I...I think it's better for after school."

"Oh." Raven whispered, slightly disappointed. Maybe Chelsea was rethinking the whole kiss thing. Maybe she didn't like it too much after all.

It was as if Chelsea could read Raven's face, because she said, "I'm sorry. I just think that it would be better if we didn't have to whisper our conversation. And maybe have a little more privacy. You think you can get your parents to let you come over to my house tonight?"

Raven shrugged. "I doubt it. I'm not that lucky."

"Not even if you said it was for a project?"

"I don't think they'd believe me. Maybe they'll let you come over to my house though."

"I could call them and ask."

"You could." Then, Raven's eyes began to twinkle as she schemed. "Besides, we do kind of have to do a project for English."

"We're writing a paper about 'The Catcher in the Rye.' And we're supposed to do it alone."

"Yeah well, my parents don't have to know that part. And it's not like you haven't done it already you nerd." Raven teased.

"Shut up." Chelsea said back, gently throwing her pen at Raven. It hit Raven square in the forehead, and Chelsea burst into laughter...just a little too loudly, because the librarian cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow at them.

"Sorry." Chelsea mouthed, but then put her head in her arms on the table, her shoulders shaking as she laughed.

Raven laughed silently, feeling good that they could still act regular around each other. It wasn't as if nothing happened between them, but the relationship they had, as best friends, wasn't altered too much. Hopefully, it wouldn't be.