Hello everyone.
I'm back and writing, even though I feel like a chipmunk.
Special Thanks to all my readers, but especially to:
oranfly: thanks, the luck helped.
darktank: Just wait, you learn to love Demeter.
Starlit Moonshadow: I hope this is soon enough.
ravenmasteroftele: thank you.
WickedWitchoftheSE: It's really not that bad. I was only knocked out for a day, and that's just because my body mass is so insignificant compared to the medication I was on. Wisdom teeth, meh, not that bad. Just wait, the brother is in a few more times.
AddictiveJon: sorry, I was on my meds and kinda stoned when I posted last. I love you so much for reading, please forgive me. kneels and begs
BlackBloodyTears: Oh my God, I love you. Thank you for reviewing. I'm glad the bionic monkeys have not yet attacked me. Here is the next chapter.
JNgirl: Thank you, and no, Demeter is not just out of the blue. I won't say more because it gives away the story, just keep reading.
All my readers: I love you all.
Read on fellow fans.
Disclaimer: I (totally not getting old) do not own TT.
Raven got up early and meditated without Demeter, who always slept in Tuesday mornings for some reason. She was still wearing the pendant Beastboy had given her. She finished her workout and put the tea water on. She slipped into the shower, she thought of Beastboy when she was running soap through her waist-long purple hair. 'He said he liked my hair,' she thought to herself, 'How it smelt. Hm. Maybe I should wear it down more often.' She got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. She pulled on her traditional black jeans, work boots, and black Orion's tee shirt. She put her ID on her belt and grabbed her leather jacket. Her tool belt stayed at the theatre for most of the year.
"Hey sleepy head," Raven called, "Hurry up, we get our new assignments today." There was a new show every ten weeks at the Orion, which meant each stage crew had an enormous job. Each set was constructed in less then a week and usually had to be taken down a few days after closing night while auditions for the next show were going on. In between those periods were touch-ups, cleanings, and fixes. Raven and Demeter were very thin and therefore invaluable to the tradition theatre team. There were eight teams at the Orion, one for each stage. There were three theatre-in-the-round stages and five traditional stages. The theatre was old, and all the stages were flat, not raked (at an angle) like they were now. So every time they did a production they had to build a set floor above the existing theatre floor, so Demeter and Raven could fit under the wood framing to bolt platforms together.
"Five more minutes," Demeter groaned, a pillow over her head. Raven sighed; she walked into the bathroom and turned on the cold-water tap. (Guess how Raven gets Demeter up. It involves a freezing cold washcloth applied directly to the face. HA HA, so evil.) Demeter bolted upright. "I'm up, I'm up!" She saw Raven still in the room. "That wasn't nice." She threw a pillow at Raven; she blocked it easily and soon returned the missile.
"Neither is getting the shit end of the stick when it comes to crew assignments," Raven said. "Hurry up, I'll make breakfast." Demeter stumbled into the kitchen, her hair mussed from the pillow. She ate with her eyes closed and got out her own jacket.
"Lets go," she mumbled. Raven got their helmets and they went downstairs. They said goodbye to Mrs. Dubbinton and drove to the Orion Theatre three miles away. Raven was glad no one knew of her episode, they all thought she was epileptic. Raven turned off her bike and locked it into the back of the building.
"Morning Jason," Raven called.
"Hey girls," he replied, hugging them both. "How are you guys today?"
"Great," Demeter replied, "I'm going to go pass out backstage now." Demeter walked off and passed out on Brian's shoulder, he smiled and set her on a set of sandbags. Raven felt a pair of hands behind her and they covered her face.
"And I am," the deep voice asked. Raven smirked.
"Hey Nick," she said. He was in the cast of the show, he had a great voice for musicals and the teens loved him. She had to admit, he was pretty hot, and straight, a rarity in theatre.
"You always know me," he said, spinning her around. He smiled at her.
"You're straight," Raven said, "It's not that hard to pick you out." She smiled and ducked out of his hold to go talk to Jeremy. Pretty soon their stage manager, Brian, called them all in.
"Posts up," he called, "Check your lists and see what show you're on. Auditions are in two weeks, so be ready."
"Rea," Nick called, much taller then the two girls, "You're on the Wicked crew, Dem's on Les Mis."
"Thanks Nick, you're a doll," Rea said, then ran off to find Demeter, napping backstage where Brian had left her. "Hey, come on. You're on the Les Mis. Crew. Again."
"You know," Demeter said, "I got tired of that set the third time I built it. You think that they would put me on a new set after eight years." It had been Demeter who had gotten Rea the job at Orion's; she had been working here far longer then most.
"You think they would get a new show," Raven said, helping her friend up.
"Come on. Let's get started, we're going to get stage cleaning again."
"The downplay to being the only two to fit under the stage," Demeter said, standing. "Come on." The two grabbed their tool belts, wheeled trolleys, goggles, and dust masks.
"Rea, Demeter," Brian called.
"Get started on stage cleaning," they said in unison, "Stages 7 and 4." Brian smiled.
"Good girls," Brian said, "I don't know what'd we'd do without you."
"Suffer a dirty stage," Demeter suggested, "Or give us a pay raise."
"Not my department," Brian yelled, climbing up to stage 7 loft, "That's the boss's department."
"Yeah, yeah," Raven called, "Talk to you at lunch. Oi, John!"
"What," Jon asked, walking over. Raven lay down on her trolley and put on her dust gear.
"Roll me under," Raven instructed, turning on her lamp and opening the under-stage hatch. John grabbed her ankles and shoved.
"Going under," He called. John and Raven had an understanding between them of how to work. "Clear or block."
"Clear right," Raven yelled, "Straight blocked. Let me go!" Raven felt his grip leave her ankles and he closed the hatch. She worked for God knows how long, she loved the stage. The only downfall came when people began to walk across the stage. She banged four times, her own specific code, on the roof.
"Oi," she heard Brian shout, "Get off the stage, we got people under there." Raven heard scurrying footsteps and the pressure on the wood above her left. "You all right? Who's down there?"
"It's Rea," she called, her voice muffled, "What time is it?"
"Twelve minutes to lunch," Brian answered, "I'll get John to pull you out, I was just about to send out a search party." Raven crawled back to her trolley and reached out, she felt John's hands grip her wrists.
"Come on," he said as he pulled her out. Raven came out from underneath the stage accompanied by a large puff of dust and grime. John coughed. Raven smiled.
"Thanks man," she was filthy. Dirt was in her hair and all over her face except for the part where her goggles had been. Demeter was much in the same condition.
"You look like shit," Demeter commented, her tool belt over her shoulder.
"Yeah," Raven replied, "And you're a picture of beauty yourself. Come on, let's go get lunch."
"Brian ordered pizza," Demeter replied, "If we chip in we get one."
"Point the way my friend," Raven said, throwing her arm around her friend and walking towards the crew cafeteria. They were halfway through a pizza when Nick walked over.
"Hey Rea," he called, "There's a guy on the phone claiming to be the father of your child!" The crew and cast messed around with each other like that. They all teased each other and a guy came and put his arms around Raven, taking the phone off the wall and talking into the phone piece.
"Get off," Raven said, smacking John away, "Go, shoo. Hello?"
"Hey Rea, when are you due," Beastboy said, Raven smiled, her whole face lit up when she heard his voice.
"Oh shut up," she said.
"Anyway, I was wondering if you would like to come to a romantic dinner tonight, my place, say around, seven?"
"Sure," Raven said flirtatiously, "May I ask the attire?"
"Anything," he replied, "Though I would prefer a dress, if you wear something, I'll be wearing a jacket."
"See you then," Raven replied.
"Not if I see you first," Beastboy said, "I'll pick you up."
"Bye," Raven said.
"Bye," Beastboy said. Raven hung up the phone to a crowd of expectant faces.
"What," she asked.
"Rea's got a date," Demeter piped up from her pizza, "Is it that hot guy from the other night?"
"Demeter," Raven said, and then was swarmed by questions.
"Who is he," John asked.
"Rea's got a date," Nick asked, "Where does he live?"
"Do we know him," Kelly asked.
"Is he gay," John persisted.
"Is he straight," Laura asked.
"Can you introduce us," Nick asked, "You can't go out with him without our stamp of approval."
"Get away," Raven teased, "Demeter, you're horrible!"
"Yes I know," Demeter replied, continuing to eat. "Fill me in."
"Date, tonight," Raven said, "Just dinner."
"You're taking your knives right," Demeter asked, "You know what most guys think comes after dinner."
"Gar's not like that," Raven said, taking another slice of pizza, "He would never ask for sex on the first date."
"And the club was," Demeter asked.
"Hanging out with old friends," Raven replied, "Besides Cy is like my older brother, he would kill Gar if he even suggested sex. One wrong move on his part and Cy will blow his head off."
"You're still taking your knives," Demeter said, "That wasn't an option. Also, I will help pick out the outfit. I'm going to count this as a second date, seeing as how you've known each other for five years." The girls threw away their empty pizza box and grabbed a soda.
"He's already seen enough skin," Raven said, "Between five years ago, three nights ago, and the club."
"Yes," Demeter agreed, "But it's time to show you off. I'll be doing your outfit, makeup, and hair."
"No," Raven said.
"This isn't a discussion," Demeter said, "I'll call Jo, she owes me. Jo can cover for you tonight and I'll get my contact to dig up some stuff on Gar."
"His info is classified," Raven said quietly, "Just like mine, by the way, who don't you know and who doesn't owe you a favor?" Demeter stopped walking, thinking. She was actually puzzled. "The fact that you have to stop and think of a name proves my point, Dem."
"Can I get back to you on that," Demeter said, still thinking.
"Sure," Raven said with a smile, "Tell me when you're done cleaning the bottom of 4."
"That will take forever," Dem said.
"My point, once again, precedes me." Dem laughed and headed back to stage four while Raven went back to seven. Raven thought only of her date with Beastboy for the rest of the day.
Review please.
I love you all.
--Verya