Disclaimer: I don't own anything…
Summary: I miss one big thing about him… he is dancing with her… he is in love with her. Raven finds it very difficult to handle her feelings for her long-time friend Richard. Who would help her? Raven x Flash, some RobStar and eventually Rob/Rae/Flash .
Chapter 2: Keep You Company
Normally, I would find talking to Richard on the phone a very wondrous activity. How could I not? I have deep feelings for him, he makes me feel pointlessly happy, and I really find it special since he spends most of his time with Kori. Not that I'm complaining… I mean, Kori is wonderful and practically his girlfriend… so I have no right. I can only savor the time he spends with me, and I usually do.
Yeah….
Not today though, because all he is talking about is how annoying my friendship with Wally is and it's plain tiring to just explain to him how subtle our friendship is all conversation long. It's also tiring to hear him telling me how Wally is such a big jerk… but you know what they say, if you love someone, you either become blind with all the person's faults or have a sudden never-ending patience. I can prove that's true, because despite how annoying he's getting, I still listen to him, grunting or nodding along. Hahaha… very cute.
And you don't hang-out with us anymore!" this line isn't new to me anymore.
I sigh, "Richard Dick Grayson, the only time I spend time with Wally West is every time we go home. Most of the time I'm with you, Kori, Victor and Gar."
"What's up with that anyway?" he ignores my explanation for the seventh time, "it's either you give him a ride home or he gives you one… it's like you rich kids hanging together!"
That line isn't new to me either.
I will explain this to him once more… and then I'll end it there.
"We're neighbors. And that only happened once, plus, he never offered me a ride home because I always bring my car along. Now excuse me, I have a lot of things to do." I say and hang up the phone.
It didn't even take a minute for the phone to start ringing again. I pick it up.
"Roth residence," I answer monotonously.
"Sorry, sorry! It's just that you don't hang-out with me anymore!" Richard's voice booms from the other line.
It wasn't the volume that shocked me, it was more of what he said…
It's just that you don't hang-out with me anymore…
Richard, I am always by your side, ready to be as low as Kori's replacement whenever she's gone. Ready to hang-out with you every time you find Victor and Gar too annoying… ready to be your second fiddle to anybody.
"We don't really hang-out anymore, Richard," I say as I feel my bile rise up in my throat.
Because you started to act as if it is taboo four years ago…
There is a pause before he answers me;
"What about this afternoon? Are you busy?"
I automatically blush, "Well… I do have to practice playing the- "
"Forget about it, you're already great!" he almost screams, "Let's meet at Jump City Café, and it'll be just you and me spending quality time together!"
I can't help but smile excitedly, "R-really?" I stammer, not believing his proposition.
"Of course, see you around three then," there is a click and the line turn busy.
My heart is thumping hard against my chest, fluttering joyously. Of course I understand completely that this time with him is completely as friends only. But I can't help but feel overjoyed; I'll be spending time with him, alone. Call it overacting but I treasure it completely, because you know… I only get what I can take, and this is the best he has offered me so far.
Standing up, I walk to the bathroom to get ready.
Maybe he doesn't think of it as taboo…
Flashback (a week ago)
"It's weird," Raven said to the young man as she struck the keys of the piano.
"What's weird?" Wally, who was beside her, asked as he listened to the soft symphony she was playing. It was beautiful, a little sad… but very enticing.
"Me, hanging out with you… I know it's just the second time we kept each other company," she explained, stopping herself from playing, "but I'm actually talking to you here."
His reaction wasn't actually the one she was looking for.
"Thanks Raven, I like hanging out with you too," he answered, and immediately countered when she raised an eyebrow at him, "You implied it!"
She thought for a while, "One of my friends doesn't really like you… and people aren't actually used to seeing me accompanied by someone. I don't want them thinking things… Plus, you can be annoying… and I can't imagine why I feel so comfortable with you."
"Why thank you Raven… I feel comfortable with you too!"
She stared at him incredulously, "Wow… I never actually expressed my dislike for someone. You're the first one…"
"I'm honored… but think about it. It's not that you don't like me… I think you actually do, a lot!"
She considered hitting him on the head, but she just stared at him exasperatedly and smiled, "You're too arrogant, nothing gets to you…"
Closing his eyes, he smiled back, "Why won't you continue playing?" he looked at her small hands.
"You know, you care too much about what people might think of you… what your role in this place is and what reaction you're gonna get from people," he started just as the soft music reached his ears.
Now… Raven wasn't really open to her flaws, and she wasn't used to people pointing it out. Her friends never pointed it out… directly at least, they often implied it and sometimes even took it back as soon as they did so. Mostly because they knew she didn't like it, not that she thought of herself as perfect… she just didn't really like it… but now, the young man didn't actually know that, and she didn't really want to be rude to him. She just continued playing, deciding to either just listen or ignore him.
"And you're too uptight about your feelings for him!"
That was when she stopped him, "You know, it's a little too early to start analyzing me," she warned.
It didn't falter him. He didn't defend himself or apologize, instead, he shrugged and grabbed his backpack off the floor. Raven frowned when he started to search something in it, feeling quite offended of his actions.
"Here," he handed her something. When she looked at it, she saw a simple thick hardbound sketchbook with a design of a purple rose on its cover.
"My sketchbook," she grabbed it instantly, her hands leaving the piano keys, "I've been looking for this for a week now… How'd you find it?"
He was impressed at how calm she acted, most people would have screamed and kissed their 'lost thing' already… well, that was what he would do, "I picked it up… it was laying there near the soccer field."
"Oh…" Raven mumbled and wondered how it got there, "thanks…"
"No prob," he answered as he looked at the girl browse the sketchbook, "I kinda looked at some sketches there, I hope you don't mind…"
She stopped. Only her friends got to look at her works… Was he her friend? She just started to really talk to him three days ago, despite the six years of being classmates… and neighbors. Plus, she still felt a little sore from his offence a little while ago. But still…
"No, it's no problem," she shook her head.
Wally grinned, then pointed at a sketch, "I really like how you sketched Jump City Park… You're a really good artist!"
Raven smiled, her feelings of resentment gone, "And you told me you didn't know I was artsy…"
He would ignore this little comment. For now.
End flashback
It's six o'clock and I'm here in this café for more than two hours now, and have been staring at my cell phone for one. I must be looking so stupid now, just sitting here alone, staring at either into space or at my cell phone. I haven't even bought anything yet and this Goth waiter guy keeps looking at me. I'm obviously not having the day of my life.
'Rae, sorry but I can't make it today, Kori needs someone to drive her to her aunt's house… I'm really sorry, I'll make it up to you, I promise!'
My heart constricts painfully, and suddenly I feel very cold inside.
I shake my head. No… I have no right to feel bad. Kori is Richard's girlfriend, and she should be his first priority. I can always take this, it doesn't really matter… even though my hopes of spending time with him are crushed to tiny microscopic particles and my frustrations are doubled by a dozen, it doesn't really matter.
"Raven?" I hear someone call out to me and I see Wally walking to my table, "What are you doing here?"
Great… just as I start to feel the need to be alone…
I don't bother greeting him, "I'm currently being ditched… here."
"Ouch," he pretends to wince as he sits in front of me, "Mr. Loser? You must be fuming…"
I shrug, "No… it's not right for me to be mad at him…"
He, then, makes a face. But I don't really pay attention to it.
"I'm kinda frustrated thou- "
"Tell me." he gives me a kindhearted smile and I can't think of anything to do but oblige.
"You see, I didn't attend my lessons today just to meet him," I sigh, "and it's not like me, then I act giddy and joyful, which is more unlike me… it's plain frustrating because it's not right, it's not me… and all of my hopes… my feelings and actions are so not right and I shouldn't do it… and it frustrates me because they all don't make sense… even my thoughts don't make sense anymore."
Wow… did I just say that? I never talked like that before…
Wally makes a funnier face, but I still don't pay attention to it. Despite the relief talking has provided my frustrations, I am still unfocused.
"Can I give advice, Raven?" Wally asks and I wave my hand as if to say "okay". Not that it's going to get to me anyway.
"Why does everything have to make sense to you? Stop torturing and forbidding yourself and do what you actually want. So what if it's irrational or not right? You don't always have to be on the "right" side of things, why make excuses? Nobody asked for them, so do whatever you want to do and be happy!" he says in a lighthearted manner as he leans back on his chair, waving his right hand.
'Be happy…' His words unusually sink in to me. But I don't let him see it. Maybe I should try and think about it tomorrow.
"How about we order some coffee from that Goth guy who's been looking at you and I'll keep you company."
Flashback
"Raven," Richard looked at her apologetically, this was going to be hard, "I know I already asked you to the Homecoming dance but…"
Raven kept her eyes on him as he scratched his head, looking as uncomfortable as ever. Somehow, she already knew that she wasn't going to like what he was about to tell her.
"But I kinda talked to Kori… and kinda, you know, asked her…" he shuffled his feet sheepishly, "She kinda said yes… and you know…"
Raven stared at him, almost lifelessly, "Sure, it's okay…"
Ouch…
"Really!" Richard looked relieved… and grateful, "THANKS RAE! I just really like her! And… and I think she's the one, y-you know?" he squeezed her hand and mumbled words.
Raven stepped back and held her hands up, she had heard enough, "It's fine… go! Go to her, I don't like it anyway… dances, I mean…" with a fake smile, she gave him a slight push, hoping he didn't notice how her voice cracked subtly.
And when he walked away, she stared at his back longingly. She looked down her feet and thought of the note Victor and Gar passed to her back in eighth grade. 'Raven loves Richard!'
The awful truth.
Sighing sadly, she walked out of their campus. Good thing she hadn't bought a dress yet.
End flashback
Author's notes: Second chapter done! Once again, I would like to express my gratitude to the ever wonderful 'EvilWhiteRaven'.
To the reviewers:
Mad Mauser: Thank you so much for the compliment! And don't worry; you're not the only one with a problem with aliases… Took me days and EvilWhiteRaven) to remember Raven's name. Raven Roth… which is also alliterative.
Chica De Los Ojos Café: Oh gosh… thanks! You're so nice! Well yes, a lot of students had seen them in that chapter. Hehe.
DITZY: Thank you! Hehehe. Yes, Flash does rule! I hope you liked this chapter!
shiroi-hana: Oh! Thank you! I am in love with your fanfics and I find it to be such an honor to receive a review from you!
EvilWhiteRaven: Yes, I am the first follower of EvilWhiteRavenism! I'm still planning on what to do with Raven about the Azarath University thing, hehe. I'm glad you like the Wally-ness, there will be more in the next chapter.
cathy-loves-you: Oh gosh, thank you! Well I'm not sure whether what pairing I'll end this story with, but I'm done writing the first chapter of my real RaeRob!
mysti-eyed: Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm glad you don't see Raven as a goth either. Plus, there are only a few writers who succeed in portraying her well as a goth… most just makes Raven act like a mall goth. And Starfire is such a sweetheart, I will never bash her.
AlyRaven: Oh thank you! And I'm glad you still managed to like this story even if you don't like RobRae.
Darkofthenight: I like new reviewers… thank you for reviewing! And I'll try to update soon too!
Morbed-Kai: To tell you the truth, I haven't ready any of the issues yet… so I don't know how Wally acts there… I'd really like to know though. It would help me a lot in portraying him here!
andromeda90: Thank you! There are a lot of great Teen Titans stories here, you just have to look!
Yulie: I'll try to do that, thank you so much for your review!
Reviews are highly appreciated, thank you!