The seconds ticked away like years in the Titans' Tower as Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, and Raven awaited Cyborg's return with Stephanie. Tension was thick in the air between the four: Starfire refused to even make eye contact with a flustered Robin, while Beast Boy sulked in his room and struggled to ignore a fuming Raven who was flopped on his bed, having destroyed most of his possessions already.
Robin checked his watch agitatedly every few minutes, waiting for the familiar rumble of the T-Car, the one thing he could trust would break the uneasy silence that hovered over the present four Titans.
Lunch was a subdued affair, Beast Boy's feeble attempts at jokes acknowledged only by Raven, whose reaction of shooting a death glare at him was far from enthusiastic. Indeed, both girls were seething by the end of the meal, and only when Beast Boy pulled Starfire aside and mumbled a rushed apology and an offer to play video games did any sense of well being arise between any of the four.
But Beast Boy's game was even worse than usual and, even after a thorough description of the controls, Starfire continually fumbled over the joysticks and buttons, a sure sign that neither was really up for it.
Eventually, Beast Boy threw up his hands in aggravation. "You know, I'm sick of trying to play while everyone's so mad around here," he said to the Tamaranean, who nodded in agreement. "It's useless, anyways. Look, I'll tell you what's up with Raven if you do the same for me about Robin. Otherwise, we're never going to come to a solution-- that is, until Cyborg gets here."
"Agreed, Friend. But I insist that you go first."
Beast Boy smirked. "Sorry, Star, but ladies first." Her face contorted into a scowl, and she soon caved.
Starfire pulled her legs up to her chest and hugged her knees, resting her head and looking at Beast Boy. "I am afraid… that Friend Robin does not like me anymore. He did not care to explain a simple matter to me." A single tear slipped from her large, bright green eyes and she turned away.
But suddenly her eyes glowed with righteous fury. "But I do not care anymore. If he does not love me, I shall love another instead." With that she leapt off the couch and out of the operations center.
"Starfire...? Starfire!" said Beast Boy cautiously, quickly following her out the room, but to no prevail. Instead, a fuming Robin that was giving him a death glare met him. Blinking, he turned to the former Boy Wonder with a slight frown.
"Hey, what'd I ever do?" he snapped irritably. "It's not my fault she just blew up in my face because of you."
"Whatever," retorted Robin, turning away. Shaking his head in disgust, Beast Boy tore off to Starfire's room and rapped on the door quickly. "Starfire, I'm giving you three seconds to let you in before I turn into a fly and get in through the crack under the door," he said seriously. "One... two..."
It opened noiselessly. "What do you want?" asked the still-angered alien, retaking her perch on the edge of her bed.
"Dude, Robin doesn't hate you," he said hesitantly, taking a few paces into the room. "Actually, I rather think he's in love with you... so don't get your hopes down just yet."
She shrugged. "It does not matter, and I am giving you three seconds to get out." He arched an eyebrow, and stood there. He'd never seen Starfire this angry, or upset, since the time Robin had been forced to attend the prom with Kitten.
"One. Two. Three."
Soon a shower of starbolts hit the former Doom Patrol member, who squealed in pain. "What the flip, Starfire?"
"Can you not respect my wishes and LEAVE ME ALONE!" exclaimed Starfire angrily, literally kicking him out of her bedroom and slamming the door shut behind her. Unexpectedly, she burst out into sobs, muffling them by burying her face into her pillow.
"Oh, what has happened to us?" she said brokenly, the tears stopping as suddenly as they had come as she found herself in a blind rage. "Friends do not treat each other this way! Although I am deeply angered at friends Beast Boy and Robin for my atrocious behavior!"
Starfire clutched her pink pillow. "The Reck-Mazz has finally come... Robin was wrong. We will not be friends forever..."
The mammoth door to the lobby opened and closed. She could hear the elevator making it's way up until it reached the operations room. "Rob? Star? Rae? BB? It's Cy!"
"And Stephanie!" an equally cheerful voice rang out.
Starfire quickly dried her eyes, hoping that her green eyes were no longer speckled with bloodshot red. Emerging from her room in quite a state, she caught a glance at herself- they still were. Annoyed that everyone would now know she had been crying, she cast her thoughts aside and fixed a fake but hopeful smile on her face. "Hello, friends! It is a pleasure to meet you once more, Stephanie!" she called, emerging into the operations center and embracing them both tightly.
A whimpering Beast Boy, bent double from the pain in his stomach after being hit by starbolts, quickly followed Starfire. "Hey... Cy... Steph..." he said heavily, giving a small wave before ducking out of sight.
"What's with him?" asked Cyborg, moderately concerned about Beast Boy's odd behavior.
Starfire groaned under her breath. "He... I do not know. But friend Beast Boy will surely be fine soon!" she said, falsely bright.
Unfortunately for the Tamaranean, her words were proved untrue as a loud squeal came from Beast Boy's room, followed by a, "I am SO not forgiving you for that, Starfire!"
Stephanie and Cyborg exchanged puzzled looks. Raven teleported in for a quick, but cold greeting. Robin turned up suddenly, causing Starfire to leave with a haughty "Hmph!"
"Okay, who are you and what have you done with the Titans?" demanded Cyborg of Robin, glaring around at the two present Titans. "Starfire's moody, Beast Boy's mad at Starfire and looks like he's having really bad cramps or something, Raven's all emotional, and YOU'RE apparently picking a fight with your best friend! Explanations, now."
Raven just rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and you've gotten married. Don't tell me you think that's completely ordinary. Nice seeing you again, Stephanie." She stalked off, a door slamming in her wake moments later.
Robin shot a toxic glare at Cyborg and walked away, leaving an irked Cyborg and a very befuddled Stephanie.
"What's going on!" she inquired. Cyborg gave the blonde a swift peck on the lips. "Nothing, Steph. They're going crazy, I guess. Hormones running wild." She giggled. "Okay…"
'Crazy indeed...' she thought, hoping against hope that her secret wouldn't contribute to the chaos.
A/N: Yeah. Just a chapter to set the real plot up... This story has a really complex plot... yeah. Read my stuff (and review!) and my co-writer's, Stephanie, stuff under the penname '.-EHWIES-.' Please review! Thankies to everyone that has reviewed/read. Love ya:) -StarletOfTheForest and '.-EHWIES-.'