Hey everyone...I'm finally back with chapter 7 finally here...and I'm totally sorry for the long-ass wait. The main reason...three letters and one word...A.C.T. Exam (the equivalent to the SATs). I had to study so much between the last post and the test day (12/10) that I had zero time to work on this chapter. But since that had passed, I've been working really hard with this chapter and it was really hard to write...hopefully it came out well.
As with the reviews...thanks for all of them, and if I didn't respond to any of them...I'll make sure that I reply to every single one.
Anyways...here's chapter 7(or the 2nd part of chapter 6)...hope everyone likes it as well as the rest.
Disclaimer: Dude, I would have been so rich if I had owned the Titans, unfortunately...I don't.
Chapter 7- Day After Next
Silence was still filled in Beast Boy's room with now only Beast Boy and Raven occupying it. Just being in the presence of each other had been making them feel even more nervous than before. Both didn't know what to say to the other, and were nervous of what the other one would say.
Raven looked around his room, taking a second look of what she had done to the room, and she was amazed of what she did to it. Broken bunk bed, destroyed cabinets, wrecked drawers, clothes thrown all over the place, and all other kinds of stuff ripped into shreds and was everywhere in Beast Boy's room.
Raven remembered exactly how she felt when she was destroying Beast Boy's room. She felt anger, annoyance, and a ready-to-kill demeanor. But that was before she knew that Beast Boy wasn't up to one of his usual practical jokes; before she knew that it was only an accident; before she demolished his room; before she knew that she loved Beast Boy.
"Wow," Raven mouthed very slightly and quietly that no one would see or hear her. 'I can't beli-'
"Yeah," Beast Boy replied solemnly. He was able to see and hear Raven speak.
"Huh?" Raven quickly looked back to Beast Boy.
"I...couldn't believe it either, when I finally got a good chance to see it that is. But...," he sighed, "...I guess I deserved it." Beast Boy looked at the ground.
Raven felt disgusted towards her when she heard Beast Boy say that, thinking that she made Beast Boy act like the way he's acting now. She took a cautious step towards Beast Boy, "But...Beat Boy, you didn't deserve it. I-"
"Yes. Yes I did, Raven. I did deserve it. It's my fault," he didn't look back up.
"But, why do you say that? You didn't cause all of this to happen."
"Yes, I did cause all of this to happen. I started it, Raven!" Beast Boy started to snap again. Silence hit his room. He looked back up at Raven and he started to breathe heavily, "I went into that bathroom, I flushed that toilet, I got you angry, and I got you to destroy my room! I always some how start every bad thing that has happened ever since all five of us met! When I get involved, trouble always seems to happen!"
She had never seen him this angry before. Raven looked a little bit terrified when Beast Boy snapped at her that she didn't know if he was yelling to her or yelling at himself, "Whether it's something like when I wrecked Cyborg or like when I became that Beast or...," Beast Boy hesitated and his breath started to slow down, "...or like when I went on that date with...her," Beast Boy gulped out, "o-or even something as stupid as this."
He looked down as he wiped the tears that started to fill his eyes. "Whatever I do...something always happens...and I always get in deep trouble or get hurt, inside, and it really does hurt inside, Raven. It really really hurts." Beast Boy put his right fist onto his heart and sniffled a few times as he wiped a few more tears with the other hand.
Raven felt her eyes getting wet and tried to wipe them away. She felt his pain. It was that sad and guilty feeling that she was also feeling and it was emotionally hurting her too; it made her heart reach out to him even more. She had to say something to Beast Boy to at least make him feel better that nothing was his entire fault, especially this problem: all the times that he had helped her with her problems, it was now her turn.
"Beast Boy, I-I can't believe that you even felt that way and...and I'm truly sorry for you, but you can't blame yourself for every bad thing that you did, you just can't. Like earlier today for example. What you did today, it was...unpreventable; you had to do what you needed to do. But what I did, it could have been prevented. I...I could have done many different things to prevent this from even happening: like...ummm...by letting it pass by, or...confronting it to you about that, or...something to...uhhhh-lesser degree as this, but, I didn't have to get mad at you, and snap at you, and destroy your room like the way I did."
"But you did get mad at me, and you did snap at me, and you did destroy my room like the way you did, and it's my fault that I made you so angry at me," Beast Boy didn't look up as he kept on sniffling.
"Beast Boy," Raven put her right hand on Beast Boy's left shoulder. She felt him jump a little and felt her heart beating faster--with uncertainty about what might happen next-just by touching him, but she continued, "I'm not angry at you, I'm angry at myself. I feel terribly awful for what I did to you and to your room, and I'm very sorry for that, and like I said, I shouldn't have done that. But please don't blame yourself for this whole thing, Beast Boy, because I am also who should be blamed for this. I didn't know at the time that it was an accident; I just thought that it was one of your usual practical jokes."
"Yeah...I kinda knew that," Beast Boy quickly stated.
"Well, I guess you did, but the fact is that I had no clue and I immediately thought that it was another practical joke of yours without even thinking about all the other possibilities of what it could have been. It's..." Raven sighed, "It's just that I have been under a lot of anxiety for the past couple of days lately, and earlier today was just like all the others, with another rough night last night, and with the usual annoyance that goes on during breakfast, and with the difficult training that Robin always puts us through, and-"
"But how could you be that stressed out that easily?" Beast Boy interrupted.
"Beast Boy, you have no idea how many times I just wanted to release my stress like you and everyone else can, but I can't because I could possibly blow up the tower or something like that. I have to keep all of the angst that I had to deal with for my whole life inside at all times, Beast Boy, and that's why, after the rough training, that I need a shower to calm me down, an-"
"But why didn't you just meditate like you usually do?" Beast Boy quickly interrupted again.
"Well, I usually take a shower after training. And with all the frustrations that I've mentioned, taking a shower is somewhat like meditation. But besides that, while I was showering, I hear a flush, your voice, and then the water getting hot. After that, I just assumed that it was another practical joke without even thinking that it was an accident. Then, all of a sudden, I...I got so...overwhelmed...that I couldn't take it anymore. All of that pressure from today and all the other days and years...it just seemed to take its toll... I just snapped, Beast Boy. Then, it led to what you see now, and I made you scared of me because of this. I...I guess I used you as a way to get rid of all of my tension, and I'm sorry for that."
Raven took her hand off Beast Boy's shoulder and looked at her feet. "I don't want you to leave us, and I don't want you to be scared of me at all, Beast Boy. I'm so sorry. Can you forgive me? ... Can we still be friends?"
The room went silent again for a while. Raven was out of words to say, and she didn't know how Beast Boy would react. She spoke with so much sincerity and said almost everything that she could think of, and she hoped that it worked, for her sake, for Beast Boy's sake, and for everyone else's sake.
Beast Boy looked back up at Raven, "Raven?"
Raven also picked her head up, "Yeah, Beast Boy?"
"I'm...also sorry and...I do forgive you, and...and I still want to be friends, Raven," he gave a small smile.
Raven immediately went to Beast Boy and gave him a tight hug, "Thank you, Beast Boy," Raven whispered in Beast Boy's ear.
Beast Boy tightly hugged Raven back, "No...Thank you, Raven," Beast Boy whispered back.
Now here they were...both of them, Beast Boy and Raven, together...hugging each other. This has been the happiest that Beast Boy and Raven had felt in a really long time; once both of their minds were filled with nervousness and uncertainty and now they were filled with happiness and exuberance. Both of their hearts were filled with ecstasy as they kept on holding on to each other tightly. They just wanted to be held in each others arms, and they didn't want to let go.
They each took in the other one's scent every time they took in a breath. Beast Boy took in the scent of sweet lavender that still lingered around Raven from her shower; while Raven was taking in the scent of something like early morning dew during spring that Beast Boy usually had. They were savoring every breath that they took in as if it was the last time that they were ever going to smell that scent.
Beast Boy and Raven finally let go of each other's embrace for at least a minute, but it seemed like it lasted for a really long time. Both looked down to their right immediately and stared started to smile and blush furiously deep.
Beast Boy was speechless as he rubbed the back of his neck and looking at his feet, "Sooooo...ummm...yeah."
"Yeah...ummm...," Raven too was speechless, "Well...I guess that I-uhhh-better be going to my room now to...get rid of all the mess that I've made in there...uhhh okay?" Raven looked up at Beast Boy as her huge blush on her face was fading away.
Beast Boy picked his head up also with his hand still on his neck, "Uhh-okay, yeah. That-errrrrr-sounds good. I...I guess that I should do the same then, ehhh-heh heh."
Raven turned towards Beast Boy's door and started to walk out of his room, "Yeah...okay then...I'll see you la-"
"Wait!" Beast Boy shouted as he took his hand off his neck and stuck it out towards Raven.
"Yeah, Beast Boy?" Raven turned back towards Beast Boy and gave a light smile.
Beast Boy looked a little bit uneasy as he saw Raven smiling at him, "I-uhhhh-wanted to tell you something before you go."
Raven felt really nervous all around her body. She knew that he was going to say something important, but she didn't know exactly what he was going to say, even though she hoped that what he was going to say was what she was thinking of. "Wh-What is it?"
"What I want to say is...well...uhh...what I-uhh...mean...err...w-what I'm trying to say is...ummm...that..." Beast Boy's mind was going everywhere of trying to figure out if he should tell Raven that he loves her. He was terribly nervous; his heart was pounding like crazy, telling him to tell Raven now; that this is the right time, the perfect opportunity, to tell her. But, Beast Boy didn't know if he could say it. What was making him stop was the fear of what Raven's reaction would be. How would she react? Was it really the right time for him to say it? What if Raven doesn't love him like the way he does? What would their friendship be like after? Would they still be friends? Or would they not? "...that..."
"Yeah?" Raven eagerly waited to hear what Beast Boy was going to say.
The conflict in his head was getting to big...he had to say something now,
"...that...I...I...n-never mind," Beast Boy turned his back towards Raven with failure written all over his face.
Raven's eager face dropped rapidly, "Oh...okay. I'll...I'll see you later then," Raven said somberly.
"Yeah...later," Beast Boy replied in the same somber tone, he did not dare to look back.
Raven walked out of Beast Boy's room gloomy and down. 'I knew it. I knew it was too good to be true! He wasn't going to say that he loved me. But I thought that he would,' she sighed, 'I guess he really doesn't like me like that.' All of those thoughts went through her head as she was heading towards her room. When Raven finally got to her room, she opened her door and was greeted by all the debris and mess that was in her room. "Great," she sighed again.
Beast Boy waited until Raven was out of hearing distance from Beast Boy's room and then he fiercely kicked some of his broken furniture, "Damn it, Beast Boy! Why couldn't you say it?" he stomped on a wrecked cabinet in anger, "Why couldn't you just say that you love her, huh?" threw his already busted alarm clock at one of his walls with full force which broke into smaller pieces, "You could have just said 'I love you Raven.' That was it!" banged both fists on another wall as hard as he can, "That's all you could have said, Beast Boy. 'I...love...you.' But why couldn't you say it?" Beast Boy kept on throwing and kicking all of his useless junk and debris to one corner of his room with anger while he still mentally kicked himself for not confessing to Raven.
He started to calm down after he finished with his tantrum, and he looked around to see that almost everything was at the wall opposite his doorway with still a good amount of garbage still hanging around the floor, but he didn't care about that. What he could only think of now was when he would tell Raven, 'I'll tell you next time, Raven. I'll tell you next time.'
The next day came with lesser tension than the day before, but that didn't mean that the tension inside the tower was still strong and still presentable. Most of the day, the Titans were busy fixing up Beast Boy's room, Raven's room, and the bathroom, taking out all the tons of-what was now-garbage out of each room. Cyborg and Starfire were carrying all the big and heavy items ranging from the bunk bed, to the book cases, and to the bathroom shower, Raven was cleaning up her room, and Robin and Beast Boy were cleaning Beast Boy's room.
Inside Beast Boy's room, Robin and Beast Boy picked up all the smaller debris and threw them in several garbage bags. Robin didn't talk much about what happened yesterday to Beast Boy, and if he did, Beast Boy wouldn't give him a reply or would reply with only a slight grunt or two.
About an hour went by and Beast Boy's room was completely spotless with the garbage bags sitting outside the room. Robin offered to take all the bags to the garage, where all the other garbage bags were, but Beast Boy offered to take some of them down. When they opened the door to the garage, Beast Boy was surprised to see Raven there, putting the garbage bags from her room in the pile of many other garbage bags. Finally, Beast Boy was able to talk to Raven. But when Raven turned around to leave the garage, she gasped quickly at the presence of Beast Boy and immediately transported back to her room. Beast Boy sighed and slouched his way to the pile. Once he got to the pile, he roughly threw the bags onto the pile. Robin looked on and was confused with the behavior between Raven and Beast Boy.
It was dinner time two days after the incident happened. Everyone, except for Raven, was at the table. Robin and Starfire finished eating and were discussing about the latest movie that they had just saw together, while Cyborg was in the middle of eating his 16oz. rib eye steak that he made for himself. Cyborg looked at Beast Boy to see how much he had eaten, but Beast Boy was leaning on the table mindlessly playing with the mashed potatoes and string beans with his fork, and not even touching the pair of tofu burgers that Cyborg had prepared for Beast Boy. It was sad for Cyborg to see Beast Boy so down and not himself for the past few days.
Throughout those past few days, confrontations between Beast Boy and Raven were uncommon and quiet compared to the multiple confrontations per day that had transpired with the two. They usually had something so say to each other whether it was a dumb joke or a sarcastic comment, but now every time they see each other in the hallways, they didn't say anything at all and just walked past each other trying to looking like that they didn't notice that the other one was there.
Another time was when Raven going to the common room to make her tea. These few days weren't so good for Raven. She tried to do some meditation for hours and hours, but the thought of Beast Boy always came into her mind and it always interrupted with her meditation. Raven thought that maybe that her tea would possibly calm herself down a little bit. Once she got to the door, the door swooshed open and was shocked to see Beast Boy at the top of the short steps making his way out of the same door that Raven had open; both felt their bodies quickly getting tense.
Beast Boy immediately stopped and lightly gasped, "Oh-uh, hey there, Raven." Beast Boy gave a half smile.
"Uhh, hey, Beast B-" something made a cracking noise.
Raven and Beast Boy looked to the kitchen to see that Raven's gray tea kettle was encased in a black matter and it was cracking.
Beast Boy looked back at Raven with question marks written all over his face, "What wa-"
"I-I gotta go," Raven immediately said, and left the common room with the doors closing right in front of Beast Boy's face.
Many hours had passed by and the day had turned to dusk. Inside the common room, Cyborg and Robin were sitting in the center on the semi-circular couch and flipping channels on their huge wide screen television, while Raven was sitting on the far right edge of the couch and reading her book. Raven tried to give off her presence that nothing was wrong and she had dealt with the incident and had moved on, but she still had much trouble with it because she had trouble focusing on the line that she was on. Her act was working, and then she heard the common room doors open. She started to feel tense thinking that Beast Boy had come in; she didn't want to look.
"Hello, everyone," it was Starfire and Raven silently let out a breath of relief.
"Hey, Star," Robin and Cyborg said simultaneously, just staring at the television.
"I am just curious, but does anyone know where Beast Boy had went to? He has not been in this tower for some time. Has he gone out somewhere in the city?"
"Beast Boy?...No!" Cyborg claimed in a cocky type attitude. He turned to Starfire, "He's been at his spot on the island, and moping there for most of the afternoon."
"Yeah," Robin replied, who's now also looking at Starfire, "Beast Boy has not been himself for the past four days. He's been all quiet, not telling any jokes and going to his spot for several hours every day; just sitting there and sulking."
Raven heard every word what Robin and Cyborg were saying and was gripping her book tightly, trying so hard not to show that she was being affected by what the boys said. 'Don't react, Raven.'
"Well, why do you think that Beast Boy is being depressed?" Starfire asked.
'Don't react!'
"I don't know Star, but something has to be done to cheer Beast Boy up. Cyborg and I had tried everything we could think of to cheer him up, but he's still going to his spot and he's still unhappy."
'DON'T!' Raven felt herself and her book shaking.
"And if this keeps up, who knows, Beast Boy might not be himself again."
That was it. Raven couldn't take it anymore. She stood up and threw her book to her feet. Cyborg, Starfire, and Robin turned towards Raven to see slight anger and sadness that was showing on her face. Raven looked at them, threw her hood up, and walked quickly out of the common room.
"I think we got her," said Robin.
"Yeah, let's hope this plan works," said Cyborg.
Starfire looked uncertain, "Do you think that both Beast Boy and Raven would figure out that we sort of had setted them up?"
Both Robin and Cyborg returned to the television, still trying to find something to watch.
"Star, those two are too concerned about each other that they wouldn't even think that what we did was somewhat of a set up," Cyborg said. "The sooner those two get together, the sooner things can get back to normal."
"Besides, what we were saying was true," Robin added, "Beast Boy is at his spot, sulking, and we did try everything to cheer them both up and none worked. So that won't be a factor. Don't worry about it Star...we were just...quickening the process."
Starfire walked to one of the mirrors to watch and enjoyed the sunset that had fallen upon the city, "I guess you guys are correct," said Starfire. She soon looked down the mirror to see the waves hit the island, but was surprised to see Raven outside. Raven had her hood down and was wandering around the island looking like that she's looking for someone. Starfire smiled to see that the plan was working, 'Go get him, Raven,' Starfire soon returned to the couch and sat next to Robin, who now found something to watch...a baseball game.
Man, I miss baseball...does anyone know when the pitchers and catchers finally report to Spring Training?
Anyways...that was chapter 7...hope I didn't over do it.
I'm going to start on ch 8 as soon as I can, but the only bad thing is that it's more than likely that the chapter won't be posted until 2006(no joke intended)...just letting every one know. And I'm doing this thing that will make you see my progress on the chapter. I started this about a week ago so if you saw it already, then you know. If you don't know, let me explain...
What I am doing is that there is a section in my profile that is called "Important Events." What this section is...is what it says...important events... whether it happened in the short past, in the present, or an upcoming event of some of the events that are...important. In this section, I will have a percentage of my progress, on how much of the next chapter I have completed, shown and an estimated time when the next chapter will be posted.
The reason behind this is because I know that many of you have been waiting for a long time and always looking to see when this chapter will be posted. What this does is that it eliminates you guys from not knowing when the next chapter will be posted. Hope everyone now understands it, if not, look at the profile.
Thanks to everyone who has given me info on their pasts (will be credited), and thanks to the episode "Go" because that episode gave me the direction that I needed for the story.
That's about it...hopefully ch 8 won't take as long as this one did...later.