AN: I do not own the Teen Titans, for if I did I would never let it go off the air!

Chapter 11: Friends?

Raven wasn't one who liked to dance, so she sat at their designated table. She watched Beast Boy dance and would smile and wave whenever he looked towards her. He wasn't a great dancer, but he wasn't horrible. She found his dancing to be very entertaining and she watched as he tried to show off to their Titan friends.

They had started the night off by making their way around the room and saying hello to everyone. They caught up with their really good friends and were introduced to the newest members. Everyone just about fainted when they saw Raven and Beast Boy walking in together, but they made it a point to tell everyone that they were just there as friends. Not that that made the shock go away.

The other Titans had good reason to be shocked at the Beast Boy and Raven friendship. At the previous ball they had had a horrible argument. Beast Boy was trying to get her to dance and she was refused. After grabbing her arm and trying to pull her out onto the dance floor, she moved the punch bowl over his head and doused him. Then he was really screaming at her and she was in no way sorry. It had been a very embarrassing moment for the other three Titans who did their best to explain their friends' actions.

Beast Boy took a seat next to Raven and downed a cold glass of water. He was sweating and looked to be having a great time.

"Having fun?" asked Raven.

"Are you kidding?" he asked trying to catch his breath. "I'm on fire!"

Raven laughed, but tried not to laugh too hard. "Well, you look like you've been in a fire. Jesus, you're sweaty."

"I know," he said grabbing a napkin and wiping his face. "You should come out there and dance."

"Oh no, we've had this conversation before," said Raven. "Or do I have to bring the punch bowl over here again?"

"Fine," said Raven putting his sweaty napkin down. "But I know you'd have fun."

"And I know that I wouldn't," said Raven standing up.

"Where you goin?" asked Beast Boy.

"I'm going to mingle around a little," said Raven. "I have a couple questions for BumbleBee." And off she went.

Beast Boy was happy to sit there for a little while. Before long Cyborg and Robin came over and sat down. They were both a little sweaty as well, but nothing like Beast Boy.

"Hey dudes," said Beast Boy grabbing another water from the table.

"Hey BB," said Cyborg taking a seat. "God damn! You're sweaty."

"I know," said Beast Boy rolling his eyes. "Where's Starfire?"

"Trading hair tips with Kole," said Robin. "Where's Raven."

"She just went off to mingle," said Beast Boy.

"Raven went off to mingle?" asked Cyborg. "Man, I dunno what you're doin, but keep it up."

"What are you talkin about?" asked Beast Boy.

"I've never seen her so… pleasant before," said Cyborg. "She's talking to people, she's smiling without being forced to, and she keeps giggling."

"And you think she's like that because of me?" asked Beast Boy.

"Well, she has been different ever since you two became friends," said Robin. "It's like you took the edge off of her."

"And don't say that you haven't noticed," said Cyborg.

"I really haven't," said Beast Boy. "You really think she's changed that much?"

"Are you kidding?" asked Cyborg. "She's like a different person. I mean, when you think of Raven, what do you think of?"

Beast Boy thought for a second. "Dark, mysterious, slightly creepy."

"That's what you think of?" asked Robin very surprised. "She hasn't been like that for over a month now. Geez, I guess you really haven't noticed."

"Maybe he hasn't really been thinking of Raven as Raven," suggested Cyborg to Robin.

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" asked Beast Boy growing confused.

"Think about it BB, a year ago would you have even thought about spending a day alone with Raven?" asked Cyborg.

"Probably not, but that was a year ago," said Beast Boy. "We're friends now."

"You were friends back then, too, you know," said Robin.

"Yeah, but we weren't friendly," said Beast Boy. Now the other two Titans were growing confused. "I know, it's complicated, but things are different now. We've found things that we have in common and we've even compromised so that we can get along with each other."

"You two don't sound like friends," said Robin raising an eyebrow. "You sound more like a couple."

"For the last time, we're just friends!" said Beast Boy growing frustrated. "Why can't anyone understand that?"

"Because it's unheard of!" said Cyborg. "A guy and a girl can't just be friends."

"Yeah, haven't you seen When Harry Met Sally?" asked Robin. This made both Cyborg and Beast Boy stare at him oddly. "Before you say anything, Starfire made me watch it."

"And your point is?" asked Beast Boy.

"Men and woman can't be friends because sooner or later the whole sexual tension thing either makes them into a couple or rips them apart," said Robin.

"Okay, what if we already had a boyfriend or a girlfriend?" asked Beast Boy. "Could we be friends then?"

"You could, but it would conflict your relationship with your boyfriend or girlfriend," said Robin. "They wonder why you would want to be friends with someone of the opposite sex. Are you not getting what you want from them? Are you unhappy with the relationship? Soon everything gets messy, enemies are made, and you end up with your "friend" anyway comforting each other over your ruined relationship. And we all know what happens when we're on the rebound."

"So you think that no matter what, Raven and I will end up either becoming a couple or hating each other worse than ever?" asked Beast Boy.

"Sorry, B, but that's the way things work," said Cyborg.

"Well it's not gonna happen to us," laughed Beast Boy. Unbeknownst to Beast Boy, Raven was heading back to the table and began to hear their conversation.

"Are you sure?" asked Robin. "You don't think that you and Raven would ever get together? I mean, you have gotten really close."

"No! I don't feel that way about her," said Beast Boy rather loudly. "Besides, she's not my type."

"And what is your type?" laughed Cyborg.

"High spirited, fun, pretty," said Beast Boy counting on his fingers. All of a sudden Cyborg and Robins eyes went wide and the color drained from their faces. Beast Boy, quite confused, asked, "What?" They were looking behind him and slowly he turned around. There stood Raven. Her mouth was slightly open with shock and she just stared at him. Then her eyes began to dart around the room, she turned, and started walking away. "Oh shit," said Beast Boy bolting out of his chair.

Raven felt her jaw clench shut with rage as she pushed past everyone around her. She saw an emergency exit sign and headed for it. Beast Boy did his best to follow her, but it was hard in the crowded hall. She reached the door, exited, and was now walking through the alley in back of the hotel. Beast Boy saw her leave and was quickly out the door as well.

"Raven stop!" he shouted. But she didn't. She kept on walking as fast as she could, without running, down the alley. Beast Boy did run and he grabbed her arm to stop her. "Wait a second, I can explain."

"Get the fuck away from me!" she screamed and pulled out of his arms.

"Okay, I know that it must've sounded bad, but…"

"Oh just shut up," she spat as if venom was in her mouth. "I heard enough. I can't believe you, I can't fucking believe you!"

"Raven, it's not what you think."

"It's not what I think!"

"No, it's not. I was just explaining to Cyborg and Robin that we were just friends and that we weren't a couple."

"Because I'm not pretty enough for you," she said, trying to hold back tears.

"No! That's not what I meant."

"Oh, I know what you meant. And after you promised me that you would never lie to me. After I gave you my trust! How could you do this to me!"

"Raven I…"

She didn't give him a chance to say anything else. She wrapped herself in a black raven and disappeared. Now Beast Boy was left alone in the alley behind the hotel. He couldn't believe what had just happened. He blew it, and he knew it. She would never forgive him now, she would never listen. He kicked a trash can over and screamed, "God damn it!"

Raven was now in her room and she fell to her knees, crying. It had happened again. She had let someone get close to her and they had lied to her. She couldn't believe she had let herself be hurt all over again. And worst of all, it was Beast Boy. Someone she had known for years. Someone she thought she knew. He was always sweet and innocent. When he said that he would never lie to her she believed him. She believed him with all her heart. She needed to. She needed to believe in someone in her life. But he turned out to be no different than any other guy.

She tore her dress off and took her hair down. She went to the bathroom and washed off all the make up she had put on. She then stared at herself in the mirror and she hated what she saw. Ever since she and Beast Boy had become friends she had completely forgotten about how ugly she was. Now it was all coming back to her.

A few hours passed and the other Titans came home. Beast Boy had decided not to follow Raven back to the tower after she left. He knew that she might have killed him in her rage. Now he hoped she would at least listen to him. He went to her door and knocked.

"Raven?"

"Go away!" she screamed.

"I really want to talk to you."

The door turned black and slammed into the wall. Raven was now standing on the other side with fire in her eyes. "Well I never want to see you again! I hate you!" she yelled.

"Can't we please at least discuss this?"

"No, we can't discuss this. Because it doesn't matter what you say, I will never ever forgive you." Her door slammed shut and nearly smashed through the next wall.

Beast Boy knew he had couldn't just leave her like this. He turned into an ant and crawled under her door. He morphed back and prepared for the worse.

"Okay, I know what I said was wrong," he said calmly. "And I know that if I had walked into that conversation and heard that I would be mad too. But when I said that you weren't my type and that my type was pretty, I didn't mean it like that."

"Oh, and how did you mean it?" she asked crossing her arms.

"When I said that my type was pretty, I didn't mean that you weren't pretty. I just meant that I don't find you attractive. Oh shit, I didn't mean that. What I meant to say was that I'm not attracted to you. Damn it! That's not what I meant either."

"Okay, I've heard enough. Get the hell out of my room so I can wallow in my own hideousness. And if you have any sense at all you will never talk to me, look at me, or think about me ever again. I know I won't about you."

Beast Boy stood there for a second in silence. Raven sat down on her bed and grabbed the book she and he had been reading together. He knew that she wasn't really reading; she was waiting for him to leave.

"So this is it?" he asked. "Our friendship's over?"

"It never existed," she said coldly and turned the page.

This comment was what really hurt Beast Boy. He stared at her in shock for a few seconds before finally speaking once more. "Well, maybe not to you," he sighed. "But I'll always consider our friendship… the best I've ever had."

"How wonderful for you," she hissed.

And with that Beast Boy turned and walked out of her room. As soon as he was gone and the door closed Raven put down her book and felt tears welling up in her eyes again. She leaned back into her pillow and began to weep. She didn't know why, but she felt as if her heart had been broken all over again.

Beast Boy went into his room and rested his back against his closed door. He slid down it and rested on his messy floor. He placed his face in his hands and could almost feel tears. His throat had swelled up and hurt him horribly. He didn't know why, but his whole body ached.