If you didn't notice, my story has little dialogue and even less from Titans East. I don't know if it will be this way for the entire story, but I'll try to get more from them in the future. Raven and Garth's background was very difficult to write I diverted from the plot to base this chapter solely on them.
This will be shorter than the rest of my chaps. Raven's POV entire chap.
I had always cared for him. Maybe not always, but since the beginning of their relationship, feelings began to pour throughout me. My chest tightened when I saw them together and a lump rose to my throat when I realized that the rumor was true.
Terra and Richard were… a couple.
I bit my tongue for the longest time and I still am. Days passed and I found it best to completely forget about their existence and every other male in the temple.
The next week, I fell silent, which was not odd for me, but I got the reaction I wanted. I was avoided like the plague by all… all expect for Garth.
One night while I was staring into the crystal pond, my empathy sensed someone in the darkness. I ordered my form not to move and dark orbs engulfed my hands.
"It's just me." Garth announced himself and I let down my defenses.
I watched the ripples which caught the light blues, purples, and silvers that danced over the surface.
"Intriguing, isn't it? Legend states that the rocks come from Atlantis." He smoothly sat down by my feet that were out beside me. His black eyes reflected the colors of the pond and I looked him over. Clad in only a white wifebeater and his uniform pants, the ground quickly dirtied his clothes.
"Do they really?" I asked, running a hand through the water. My hand grazed one of the glowing stones and the water was surprisingly warm considering the autumn weather.
"Yeah. They're treasures back home."
I nodded dumbly. I had nothing more to stay but he didn't leave me be.
"Are you doing alright, Rae?"
He shocked me with that question. No one wondered if I was okay. No one but Richard. Hmph, funny. I can't go five minutes without him invading my thoughts.
"I'm peachy." Another one of my perfected defenses, my monotone, could not scare him off apparently nor did it hide what I was feeling from him. I sensed sympathy and jealously along with some other emotion. It was … warm yet cold and was vaguely familiar, but I didn't bother myself with digging further. He felt sympathy for me? Why? Am I that obvious?
"A girl like you shouldn't be brooding over something so trivial."
"I'm not brood-"
"Yes, you are. I've gotten to know you Rae. We're around each other too much for me not to." I opened my mouth but no words were expelled. He was… right. As much as I hated, despised, and utterly loathed to admit it… he was right. I hated this. I hated what my heart felt, desired, but I can't turn back the clock. I can't just stop feeling.
"Besides…I've swam in every ocean, there's plenty of other fish out there."
I chuckled and glanced at him shortly before turning back to the pond. Later that night, one of those fish asked me out and I accepted for reasons unknown.
After word had spread about our relationship, things were easier to deal with. Things like Richard and Terra. When I saw him with her, I didn't feel pissed and alone. Now, I was just pissed… a little.
At lunch in September, I was sitting with Garth, his arm settled loosely on my waist. It was good that I could observe and talk at the same time for I saw that Terra acted strangely around Richard and vice versa. They were almost… cold to one another and that was strange to me. Was their relationship a hoax like as with each passing day I thought mine to be? I wouldn't know because somewhere down the line, my 'best friend' and I stopped talking as frequently as we used to.
Suddenly, after a short talk, they got up and started walking past us. I think Richard had eyed Garth and I before deciding to get a little closer to his girlfriend. Almost an exact replica of our embrace caused jealousy, pain, and anger to flood through me, even though I was laughing with my Atlantian. I forced the emotions back and ignored them as they exited. What's wrong with me? Why must I want someone I can't have?
That night was a tragedy.
Terra kicked our asses and disappeared, part of the student body was in the hospital wing, and my side had been punctured by one of the traitor's stalagmites when I had set Justin down. I woke to find Garth sleeping by my side, clutching my hand. I tried to sit up but my injury prevented me. At some point in the night, I had healed myself but I was intensely sore.
Richard was two beds away from mine, his shoulder bandaged and he was snoring lightly with each intake of breath. He was frowning as though he was in pain, physical or emotional, I was unsure of which.
I tore my eyes from his form as Garth's grip on my hand tightened. I havehim now. I'm happy with him…aren't I? Garth was a good person and an even better boyfriend if that was possible and he knew me but I couldn't help but think: Richard does as well.
'Apparently he doesn't.' Logic countered. My emotions sometimes communicated with me, mostly to disagree or debate with me. Now was no good time to try me.Especially in my confused and weakened state.
'He doesn't know that you want him, now does he?' Logic continued over the growl that resounded deep in my throat.
'That is because of my cowardice, not him.' I replied bitterly and my anger, towards myself partially, was spiking.
'Tell me, Raven… why do you pine after this boy when you have a perfectly capable one before you? You don't know if he cares about you the same way you ignorantly do for him. If you take the risk, if you break up with Garth, you could still be alone in the end. What would that possibly solve?' She sounded more like myself than I was at the moment. If I did confront Richard now, would I be jumping off a cliff? More importantly, would I be dragging Garth down with me? I didn't want to hurt him because he truly cared about me and through time and constancy, feelings had developed on my part but they don't even compare to the ones I hide for Richard.
'With more time and constancy, maybe they'll grow to.' Logic was really dancing on my very few nerves. But in the end, I thought her theory to be correct but I was so young and so naïve.
My eyes burned and itched with every blink. It was 2:00 A.M. and I was trying to locate her. Our little backstabbing geokinetic.
She and I were not the closest friends, but I could probably seek out her essence. I constantly failed however, becauseeither she was at an unreadable distance or someone was blocking my powers. My money was on the latter. Call it a gut feeling or intuition or whatever you wish but I know I can trust it.
Someone had to have taught her that incredible control of her powers. She attacked us and students on the ground at the same time! That kind of improvement does not come naturally. Trust me, I know.
In the few times I did consort with Richard, he said she had been disappearing for hours at a time. He chalked it up to Terra being angry with him but that wasn't most likely the case in my opinion.
I have tried daily for almost five months to find her or some trace of her but nothing seemed to work. Location spells, scrying, releasing my soul self… and each time the results were the same: an enormous heap of useless crap.
During my attempts I've found at least four hundred blue-eyed blondes with Terra's personality and what I supposed Terra should have had, a guilty conscience about something, and only two of them had gifts similar to hers. I had 'followed' their auras, even read their minds, but again I came up empty.
Garth thought that I was wasting time and energy on this crusade but, as many know, my one-track mind didn't even register his comments and advice. It ticked him off and started many arguments between us but… surprisingly, I just didn't care. Something that I think he picked up on and just made our fights worse. The warming weather and blossoming flowers of March didn't improve it either, in fact things got worse. Testing and con-demos and the new start of my friendship with Richard added to our stress and finally blew us over the edge. We broke up one Saturday night and it was quite civil. We remained friends and still are because he had said he knew we weren't going to last but wanted it to as long as metahumanly possible and after thinking on it, I agreed.
See! I told you! Short! But I think I've outdone myself. Seeing as nothing or barely anyone else was involved I couldn't do much with it. I could have rewritten the fight scene in Raven's POV but it wouldn't have changed much. Forgive me for the shortness of this chapter and I hope it is to your liking.
Notes:
1.) Garth and Raven were partners in a telepathy mastering course and that's why they had become so close.
Reviews:
raerob4ever- Thank you! I have to add you to my list on my profile! I can't believe I left you off! I love your story Sharing, Loving.
Tecna- I'm glad that you're better. School can be such a bitch. Thanks bunches for reviewing every chapter!
alena-chan- Happy you like my update intervals but like I said, don't get used to them. I think I took the easy way out on their break-up. Thank you for being a loyal reviewer!
raven1777- Thank you but I'm thinking on rewriting it anyway. I've got a few ideas roaming the blank slate which is my mind. Me happy you wrote!
RavenEmpressOfAzarath- Now you can make it four days straight but does it really count because of it's length?
Hound Archon- Another loyal reviewer whom I love. I think that this is the way I'll try to write Richard from now on. Bye-Bye! You're just…awesome…
Iris Night- I tried hard to make that background of the story because without it there would have been many blank, confusing spots. Thank you!
Next chapter will be humorous, or at least I'm attempting to make it such,
BirdsOnTheBrain