Ethan stared up at the white hospital ceiling, his hands folded under his head and his foot moving in motion to Killswitch Engage that blared through his black headphones. He had been in the room for only three hours, yet it felt like days. He had tired of watching the ever-present soap operas and had bugged the doctors to madness. He had sat by Hannah's side, but too many emotions arose at looking at her pale face. She had just come from surgery, and though the nurses said it was forbidden for him to stay with her while she recovered, he paid them a handsome amount of money that left them wide eyed. He had money to spare, so he was not worried.
He would use the money he kept hidden in a secret bank that not even his uncle knew about to build a house in the country from him and Hannah. It would be a small house, he mused, with only three bedrooms. Why three, he had yet to decided. The kitchen would be huge, with marble counters and wooden cabinets inlayed with glass. The den would be lofty, with towering ceilings and a roaring fireplace.
While plans flowed through his head, Ethan glanced over at Hannah, watching her chest rise and fall with each breath she took. His heart clenched as he sat up Indian style. It was no secret that he had been with many other women, but…he had never left like this with any of them. He barely knew Hannah, and yet she held him in her slim palm. He had stood up to his uncle, which he had never done before, in her defense. She was…changing him, without her even knowing. It was down right scary.
Ethan's eyes shot up when the door opened and a rail-thin nurse walked in, clutching a clipboard in her hands. She smiled at him before turning her attention to Hannah.
Shoving down his headphones off his head, he watched the nurse like a hawk.
"Is it against hospital rules to ask what was exactly wrong with her?" Without glancing up from her clipboard, the nurse answered, "Sure thing, honey. Are you her fiancé?"
Struck stupid, he merely stared. "Uh…"
She chuckled. "I reckon you aren't. Anyways, there was serious damage to her knee, and her ribs were broken. No concussion or brain damage, nor is her spinal cord damaged in anyway. Those lashes on her back had busted and one or two became infected, but that's taken care of. Her shoulder was dislocated and shattered, so, that'll take another surgery in it self, as will her knee. She's not through yet." The nurse glanced up at him when he said a quite 'oh'.
"Oh, by the way, we need to ask a personal question that effects the patient. We would ask her but…yeah. We need permission to…"The nurse sighed. "We need permission to confirm if she was sexually assaulted, if you must, and since she is under age, we need permission from a parent or guardian. Also, we can't check without permission when a patient is comatose. New laws. Some stupid doctor in Gothem raped a comatose patient. Anyway, we called her mother, and she said…to ask you."
Ethan's eyebrows drew together. "Me? Why me? I'm not her guardian or anything like that."
"Actually, I'm still a little confused myself, but your uncle said that she was in your care now and all medical decisions were up to you. I'm not sure if that's even legal, but, he's mayor and what he says goes. So, all medical expenses are up to you."
Ethan brushed aside the fact with a shrug. "Yeah, fine, whatever. But…Hannah's in my care now?"
The nurse shrugged. "I guess. Son, this is really unusual to me, so… anyway, is it fine with you to make sure she wasn't raped?"
"Yeah, please do it."
"Alright, but I need to ask a quick question. Has she had any sexual relations before?"
Ethan gave a curt shrug. "Dunno. Why?"
"Common procedure. If she has, then it will be harder to find of she has been raped. Anyway, thank you for you cooperation."
Ethan watched the nurse walk away in half a daze. Hannah was under his protection? His uncle had to be up to something. There was no way in hell that his uncle would give up so easily. He knew that is wasn't the money thing, but him being in control of Hannah. Was that legally possible? She was a minor as was he, so how could he be in legal care of her?
With a groan, Ethan fell back against the pillow. This was starting to give him a headache.
How the hell did she get away from him? He bad been so careful, making sure he chains were as tight as possible. He had even made sure her shoulder was useless so she couldn't escape. But that bitch did, and if she ever woke from the coma, she would tell everyone who he was. All his dreams would be ruined and he would rot in prison. There was no way in hell he would spend the rest of his life in a jail cell.
He had dreamed of becoming famous since he was twelve. Seeing his name splashed in the headlines, having people fear him. A sick way of thinking, but it worked for him. He knew he was a disgusting bastard, but he couldn't help it. It was who he was. A rapist. A murderer. A bloody genius.
It had been five months since he started kidnapping under-aged girls and raping them. And he still had not been caught. He was not going to be caught, damnit. No woman bested him. No man on God's green earth could take him down. He would make sure that Hannah Carson Jones never told his secret. Never.
"Come on, honey. There's no need to be nervous. It's just high school…" Darcy raised an eyebrow. "Okay. So maybe there is a reason to be nervous." She shrugged, stepping over Marty as he made a few adjustments to Raven's skirt.
"Do I look nervous?" Raven snapped, glaring at the top of Marty's dark head. Darcy just smiled, noting the way the girl's fist clenched. "Alrighty then. My mistake." Marty glanced up with a smothered grin. The girl was a raw bunch of nerves clenched together, ready to burst in an instant. She might be a titan, but deep down, she was still a true teenager at heart.
Beast Boy yanked on his tie with a groan. "This really bits monkey butt. I hate ties and all that relates to 'em." He yanked on his dress pants that had to be worn, trying to pull them down over the tacky black loafers. With an aggravated hiss when the buggers still would not corporate with him, he sprawled out on Raven's couch and watched them pamper her.
In less than two hours, they would step through threshold of Jump City Private School, with the snooty students and crabby teachers with no personal life. They, or better yet, he, would be stuck by himself while others critiqued him behind his back. Not that he really cared what people thought about him, as long as it didn't affect Raven and what she thought about him.
Marty tugged Raven's white, button-down blouse, and Beast Boy had the strangest urge to unbutton them slowly, revealing the soft pale skin that lay beneath, watch the desire wash across her face… holy hell. His dark eyes widened as he sat up quickly, flabbergasted at his own thoughts. He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck where the muscles suddenly clenched.
His face heated when Raven lifted an eyebrow at him. Darcy stood behind her, tying her hair in a ponytail at the base of her neck and arranging it to her pleasure.
"Problem?" Raven asked.
He shook his head and slouched back down. "Nope."
"Is your skin naturally gray?" Marty asked, his head tilted as he studied her legs. Raven glared and slowly moved away from him. "Yes. I'm half human, half demon." She felt a tiny surge of smug pleasure when his eyes widened. "Oh." He quickly went back to his work on adjusting her skirt.
"Why don't you go bother Beast—I mean, Logan, instead of me?"
"He doesn't need make-up. You do." At Raven's glare, Darcy quickly added, "Wait. That came out wrong. What I mean is, uh, girls in particular need make-up. Yeah."
Marty rolled his eyes. "Nice catch."
Darcy huffed. "Shut up. Anyways, I'd say you are ready to go." Marty and Darcy retreated. "We've still got to head to the other one's place, so…guess we'll see you later." Gathering up their supplies, they headed for the door, already arguing about colors and make-up combinations.
"Well…" Still uneasy about his little…dream, Beast Boy shifted. "I'm so not looking forward to going back to high school. It is so gonna suck."
"Toughen up." Raven smoothed out her skirt and arranged it around her knees. "You've had to deal with worse things than high school."
He made a sound of agreement. "Yep, sure have. 'Specially with Terra." Unconsciously, Raven's muscles stiffened at the dreaded name. She was still really sore about the happenings between Terra and herself. Terra had made it very clear that she had only used Beast Boy because Raven had feelings for him (she so did not, but the thought of her using Beast Boy rubbed her raw) and she would have done anything to make Raven jealous. Raven didn't know if she had been telling the truth, or was just trying to get a raise out of her, seeing as they were in a fight to the death, so to speak, at the time. She had also let out a few private details about Beast Boy, some which, at the moment, had Raven blushing scarlet. The things Terra had said were meant for the bedroom only.
"But, that's the past, this is the future, and right now, I am so not looking forward to this. You can't tell me that you're not nervous."
Raven cut him an irritated look. "I'm never nervous." Beast Boy's eyes stopped mid-roll as an idea popped up into his head.
"Never?" Her eyes narrowed at his smooth tone of voice. He was up to something.
"What are you getting at? You're up to something, Logan, and I want to know what it is. I swear, if you're going to kiss—"
"You're gonna what?"
His lips curved when she made no answer. "Don't worry. I never planned on it. Got better things to do than kiss you, more…enjoyable things."
Her eyes momentarily widened in shock before narrowing into slits. "What do you mean?"
He shrugged, stretching out his legs and propping them on the sleek wooden coffee table. "It means how it sounds." He was goading her, trying to spark her temper. And by God, it was working.
Unsure if he was joking, trying to get a rise out of her, or telling the truth, Raven just sat there, her face masked, though she was on the verge of being hurt. Did he seriously not like kissing her? Was she that bad? Why the hell did is matter? It wasn't like it hurt her that he didn't like to kiss her…at least it didn't hurt that bad.
To make it look like it didn't matter, she didn't blow up, nor did she leave in a huff, though she wished to do both. She was just going to sit here, calm and halfway pleasant, and act like it didn't matter. Things were just fine. What did it matter if he didn't like kissing her? Hell, she was just jumping to conclusions. He didn't even say he didn't like kissing her.
She tore skin from her lip, sweeping her tongue over the drop of blood that beaded. It didn't matter. Nope. Not at all.
"Come on, Rae. Say something. Yell at me or hit me. Something."
She said nothing, plucking invisible lint from her blouse. She hated her clothes. Tacky, boring, school uniforms. Her mind began to wonder away from the clothes and back to Beast Boy. She needed to forget about what he said. It didn't matter…hell, she didn't have to take this from him.
She stood up fast, throwing him off, and backhanded him so suddenly, it took him a minute to realize that she had just slapped him. But when it did register, his rubbed his stinging check. "What the hell was that for?"
Raven tucked the hand she had hit him with under her blouse, shocked at her own actions. She had just hit him…hard… Though she had to admit she was more pleased than she should have been.
"You had it coming for a long time so don't act so shocked."
He looked incredulous. "What do you mean I had it coming on? You just slapped me."
Raven rubbed a damp palm over her skirt, hiding her nerves behind masked eyes. "Not hard enough, obviously."
He grabbed her hand when she started to walk away. "I can't believe you hit me…"
"Well, I did, so get over it." She yanked her hand back and gave him a smug look.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why did you hit me?" The sting had left, but the shock remained. It was not like her to become physical unless pushed. And when she was mad, she never hit him, only insulted him. Hell, guess I got a damn good rise out of her.
"As I said before, you had it coming and now seemed like the perfect time. Next time, I'll hit harder.
She smoothed out her skirt one last time, then calmly raised her eyes to his. He was laughing. What the…why was he laughing so hard?
Gasping for much needed breath, Beast Boy wiped at his eyes. "Jeez, Rae, you're so easy." That little comment had fire leaping into her eyes.
"Easy, huh? Easy how?" Realizing his mistake, Beast Boy blinked. Her cool, compressed temper was far worse than her unleashed fury. At least when she let her anger out he knew what to expect. Now, he knew nothing.
"It was…I mean…uh…I didn't mean it that way…I'm gonna shut up now." He rubbed the back of his neck, concentrating on her shoes so not to make eye contact with her, but making sure he knew when she would move.
"Then how, tell me, did you mean it?" Her shoes moved closer to him, almost in front of him, and his blinked. "Not the way you're thinking."
"How was I thinking?" She was standing in front of him, but he made no move to back away or lift his eyes.
"This has nothing to do with anything that involves…physical relations. I was just trying to get some sort of reaction out of you…nothing personal." He cleared his throat.
Stepping forward so she was pressed seductively against him, she traced the line of buttons that ran from the neck to his waist, where they disappeared in to pants, with the tip of her finger.
"You know it was personal when you use my skill at kissing against me," she said, her eyes darkening with suppressed humor when he sucked in a breath.
"I wasn't using you skills against you. In a way, it's your fault because you brought up the whole kissing thing. I was gonna use something else against you, but I just couldn't help myself…" He trailed off when she slid a button out of the cloth. What was she doing? No, better yet, why was she doing this?
She trailed her eyes lazy up his torso to meet his eyes, which, unfortunately, were still downcast. "So, you don't enjoy kissing me?" She was so close now he couldn't see her shoes. But got an eyeful of her chest. She stamped on his toe when he eyes didn't raise.
"Raven, what are you doing?"
"Answer my question." She slid her hand into the opening of his shirt and rested her palm on the white muscle shirt, felling his quick intake of breath. Her heart gave a quick flutter at having this kind of control over him.
He swallowed as she jerked the shirt from his pants. "I, ah, don't remember what your question was…Raven, you've gotta stop."
Her lips quirked. "Why? If you don't enjoy kissing me, then this shouldn't be so hard to handle."
"I was just trying to get a rise from you. I didn't mean it—" He jerked when she laid her hand on his bare stomach.
"So you do like kissing me." She trailed her hand upward, marveling at the muscles that bunched beneath her hand. His sinewy frame fascinated her for some reason. She couldn't help but wonder what he looked like beneath his clothes. She blushed, but kept her eyes level with his.
"Ye-yeah. Jesus, Raven, stop it." He couldn't take her wondering hands much longer.
She pulled her hand back but he felt the swift lash of disappointment. It didn't last long. She unbuttoned the rest of his shirt, unclipped his tie, and raised on her tip toes to push it off his shoulders.
"What the hell are you going?"
"Shut up, Beast Boy." He felt like a statue being studied, critiqued, and examined for any apparent flaws. And it wasn't a half-bad feeling. She fingered the simple sliver chain around his neck, tracing the austere wolf that hung from it. Normally, being this close to someone would have left her uncomfortable, but she was too tied up in studding him in his muscle shirt. She wasn't some eighteenth-century woman who had no idea what the male body looked like until they were married, but the closest she had gotten to a man without a shirt on was on the beach, when the titans took their mini-vacation to get away from all the crime for a short while. But that was when they were young, just starting out as a team, and when Robin and Beast Boy had looked like sticks with hair.
She was dying to see him shirtless again, but her courage was slowly starting to dim, and was being replaced by embarrassment at her own acts. But for now, this was just too much fun.
"Raven…" He blinked when she walked around him to study him from behind. He had the strangest urge to whip around to keep her eyes from wondering down. "You act like I'm the hunkiest man on earth."
She took the time to raise her eyes from his butt to give him one of her 'you wish' stares. He shrugged as some of the shock wore away and the male smugness took its place. "Come on, Rae. If your gonna do that, take pictures. I can't stand here and have you drool over me the rest of the day…actually, I can, but—ouch!" He rubbed the back of his head where Raven had whacked him.
As if losing interest, she picked up his shirt, shoved into his hands, and told him to put it on. He didn't know whether to be amused or offended. He chose both.
"Fine." As he slid his shirt on and tucked his undershirt back in, Raven watched him, her right hip resting comfortably against the counter. He didn't button his shirt, but rather shoved his hands into his slack pockets, meeting her unwavering gaze with his own.
It was her, surprisingly, who turned away first to dig out her morning tea and fill the pot with water.
"You still mad about my stupid little slip up?"
"You always make stupid little slip-ups, so I'd appreciate it if you would be specific."
He glared at her, folding his arms in front of his chest. "Never mind. It doesn't matter, because…it just doesn't. I'm gonna go get something to eat before we hit the hell-hole, so, see ya."
Raven watched him walk away, her head tilted to the side. When he turned around to say a snappy comeback he had just thought of, he realized she was in her own little world, her eyebrows drawn together, as if remembering something. Confused, he shut the door behind him, hands stuffed in his pockets. He would worry about what she was thinking. Now, he was just hungry.
Twain gnawed on his thumb nail, his face calm, but his stomach lurching at the sight before him. Ortega sigh, rubbing his hand over the back of his forehead and walked over to Twain, while studying the remains of the girl that was splattered over the side of a building. The stench was choking, blood mixed with old garbage and the faint scent of gun power. No a pleasant combination.
"I don't understand. There was a white rose, yet a man was killed also. I guess he killed the guy to get to his victim."
"He's pissed," Twain muttered, slowly walking to the body where the coroner, the same woman who had come when they found the other victim, crouched down on her heels.
"Pretty nasty business, huh, Twain?"
"Yeah."
She sighed, pulling the black cover over the girl. "I'd say he's getting sloppy. Now, he's killing people in public places. This place is busy all during the day and night. He's either really mad, or up to something. I'm still flabbergasted that he killed a man. He could have just found another victim."
"No…with that alert we put out, girls are to stay inside. If they're caught, hopefully by us, they'll spend three weeks in Juvenile. Don't think they would venture out alone. This girl had a bodyguard and was still murdered. We're going to ban anyone from roaming the streets. Men and women. That's all we can do." Twain rolled his neck, cringing at the crick.
"I've dealt with a lot of bodies, Twain. But I've got thirteen year old twin girls at home. Remember the girl that was found scattered all over the place? That was their friend. She had just spent the night a week before she was kidnapped. It's hard to autopsy girls that you've seen laugh and cry with your own children. Hell, it's hard to dissect kids period." She fished out a white lace hankie and started to clean her glasses. "They still cry at night." She sighed, shoving the hankie back in her pocket. "Not hard to figure out the cause of death for either of them. But, I'd say they haven't even been dead six hours. I'll do the dental work to identify them. I'll have it by tonight, so I'll call."
Twain nodded, moving out of the way when the stretchers came. He made a sound of disgust when the reporters pilled out of vans with their cameras loaded. Didn't these people have a life?
Shoving his hands in his pockets, he dipped beneath the yellow tape and told himself he would be calm.
"Detective Twain, is it true you've found another victim of the White Rose Killer?"
"Yes."
"Do you know who the woman was?"
"Confidential Information, Miss."
"Alright, how was she murdered? Was she raped? When do you suppose the attack took place?"
"Can't tell you, miss. Confidential Information." He almost smiled when she let out an aggravated sigh.
"Is there anything you can tell us, Detective?"
"Yes. But I'm not." He did grin when her face fell and strutted off to Ortega, who was busy holding back curious on-lookers. "Ortega, I'm going to head back to the office and file some paperwork." If there was one thing he hated more than rapist and murderers, it was paperwork. But at least in his little office, he didn't have to worry about pesky reporters.
"Alright." Grabbing the megaphone that sat beside him, Ortega flipped on the switch. "People, people! Move aside! I'd appreciate it if you'd move away!"
"That'll move 'em." Twain mumbled with amusement. He rolled his eyes, rolling his neck once more. Maybe Katie would give him a neck massage when he got home. She's probably call out baby names while she was at it. Twain smiled as he walked to his care, completely unaware that he was being watched.
Deep breathes. Deep, calming breaths. It won't be the end of the world. It's just high school. Boring, non-important high school. Nothing to be worried about. But Beast Boy's heart squeezed in apprehension when the building came in sigh. It was more like an eighteenth-century castle to be more like it, with looming towers and gargoyles poised on the ends of the roof, watching, waiting, for it's next pray. The building was a dark brick with cathedral-type doors and windows, with a large fountain spurting in the main courtyard. Teenagers in uniforms meandered about, skateboarding or gossiping, making out or screaming, sulking or laughing.
While Raven pulled into the parking lot, Beast Boy watched the people glance up at their black Hyundai Santa Fe with bland interest.
Raven glance at him from the corner of her eyes, mildly worried. "Look, it won't be that bad, Beast Boy."
"Whatever."
She turned down her music, so Linkin Park blared softly through the speakers, and parked the car. "Would it help if I told you I'm nervous too?"
He sat up in his seat, studying her. "Are you serious? You're nervous too?"
"Somewhat, yes."
He gave a cute, crooked smile. "Yeah, I guess it does help."
She fished out her schedule from her notebook. "It won't be so bad, seeing as we have first, third, fourth, and sixth period together. That leaves you alone for, what, three periods? Who knows, you might even have Robin or Star in your other classes. So, don't sweat it. First days always the hardest." She sounded like a mother consoling her children.
His mood brightened considerably as he leaned over to kiss her lightly. He grinned as he pulled back. "Thanks, Rae. I really needed that."
She gave a slow nod. "Don't expect it all the time, though." He winked as he climbed out of the car with his notebook tucked under his arm. She couldn't help but notice how cute he looked as a school boy. He held up a hand when she opened her door. "The least I can so is help you out of the car." He scrambled to her side, opened her door, and bowed at the waist. "May I help you down, my lady?"
She rolled her eyes, though she was highly flattered. When he held out a hand, she shoved her books into it. "You can carry my books, dear sir."
He chuckled, tucked her books with his under his arm, and intertwined their fingers. "I shall escort you to class, my lady." He smiled down at her. "That is, unless you're embarrassed to be seen with me."
"Hmm…well, since you're carrying my books, I guess I can deal with you for a little while."
He laughed. "You know how to wound a man, Raven."
"I try my best." Ignoring the stares of curiosity they were getting, Raven pulled Beast Boy to a stop. "There's Rob—I mean…what are their names again?"
"Er…I think…maybe Rose and…Grayson. Yeah, that it. Rose and Grayson."
"Should we go over there or are we not supposed to?"
Beast Boy watched them as Star finally caught eye of them. She tugged at Robin's sleeve to get his attention. When he didn't look at her, she followed his gaze to a petite blonde with short hair and dropped her hand. Gathering up her books, she made her way to Beast Boy and Raven without Robin in tow.
"Hello, friends." Her greeting was not laced with the usual cheer she always seemed to portray.
Raven lifted her head in greeting, watching Robin as he glanced beside him to find Star gone. He panicked for a moment, turned around and spotted her, then let out what seemed to be a sigh of relief. Starfire caught his gaze and snorted, a very unladylike sound, and turned her chin up. He blinked in confusion, wondering about her attitude.
Beast Boy smothered a chuckle. "So…what's your first period, Star?"
"My what?" She lowered her chin to look at him, confused. Why would he want to know about her monthly cycles?
"Class. Your first class you go to." Raven knew what direction her thoughts had headed and couldn't help but smile.
"Oh." She opened a purple binder and started to rummage through it in search of her schedule. Lowering the rest of her books, she neatly unfolded the paper and scanned the ink. "It says Government."
"Ah, you poor thing. What's Robin got?"
She shrugged. "You will have to ask him."
"Alrighty." Beast Boy grinned. "Howdy." Robin, who had just walked over, lifted a hand in greeting. "I think we're supposed to go to the office first. I asked someone where it was, and she said it was through the front doors and to your left."
Star bent at the knees to pick up her books, tucking her hair behind her ears when it fell over her shoulder. Rising, she held them to her chest like armor. The morning bell shrilled, signaling the start of the day, and the undercover teens pushed their way through a throng of cranky students. Beast Boy kept his arm around Raven's waist so not to lose her, while Robin held Star's hand. When they were practically pushed through the doors of the large office, the sat down on the stiff, brown leather chairs and waited for some assistance.
Robin tapped his finger against the wood arm rests. Though it didn't show, he was so nervous. He hated big crowds, which was what a school was. He hated talking to people, explaining who he was, where he came from, what year he was born. Though he had studying everything there was to know about Grayson Rich, he was afraid that he would slip up and ruin everything.
Grayson Rich was from Australia, a foreign exchange student. He would have to talk like an Australian, walk like one, act like one, the whole works. Grayson was orphaned at a young age and lived with his aunt, who recently died, and left him alone. Deciding it would be best to put him with an exchange family through his senior year, the Australian Government sent him to America. Rich is smart, a little rowdy, and outgoing. It would be tough to play the part, but Robin was willing to do it.
A short, stout man with balding gray hair stepped forward. "I'm Mr. McDurmont. Can I help you?"
Slipping into her dreaded country accent, Raven said, "We're the knew students." She worked up what she hoped past for a smile and crossed her legs. Dru moody was a country girl from the get-go. She farmed in Tennessee all her life and was a well-known barrel racer. But after a tragic accident that almost killed her, her parents thought it best that she spend her senior year in Jump City, with her grandparents. Moody is outgoing, playful, and a little slow when it comes to math. Raven knew she was going to have a hard time being Little-Miss-Perfect, as Dru was supposed to be. She was going to have to smile, and laugh, and be everything that she wasn't. It was not exactly her cup of tea.
"Alright. Let me go fetch your books and a map of the school and you can be on your way." With a nod, the teens watched him go.
"Nice accent, Dru Moody." Raven hit Beast Boy hard across the stomach.
"Shut up."
"That was a complement, I hope you know." Rubbing his stomach, Beast Boy leaned back in the chair. "What class do you have, Robin?"
"Government. Mrs. Dually."
"Hey, I think Star's got that class. Who's your teacher, Star?" Beast Boy asked, snatching Robin's schedule from his hands.
"The same as Robin, I think."
"Cool. So each of us won't have to worry about being alone first period." Beast Boy said, though his voice was dull with his anxiety. Logan Field, the poor bad boy with an attitude from hell. Field was sulky, a charmer, and never paid attention to anyone. He always has a sneer of some sort on his handsome face, and had the ladies swooning. All Field cared about getting out of a small city. His parents, in hopes of straightening him out, moved him to Jump City after he was arrested for a brawl fight, which he won. He had lived in a hick town since he was born, and moving to another small place set him on edge. Beast Boy had no idea how to me moody, so he planned on having Raven tutor him.
"Amazing," Raven muttered.
Sighing, Starfire folded her hands between her knees. Suddenly she wasn't looking forward to this as she had been since they started. She had never been to an earth high school. On her home planet, she had been tutored. She had not been allowed to attend the public schools, or mingle with the other people of her village, or the 'commoners'. She had been sheltered on Tameran, as her sister had, but Black Fire had not obeyed the law and snuck out of the kingdom. Star had no idea about the real world, or her world, when she came to earth. All she knew was to sit up straight, never talk to the opposite sex, and never speak unless spoken to. She broke all of those rules, though.
What if she did something wrong? What of she understood nothing in the classroom and ruined the image of Rose? Rose Skylar was a genius, excelling in everything she does. She is shy, painfully so, and is always caught reading a book. She never speaks unless spoken to, has never played any type of sport, and moves away from crowds, even small ones. She is younger than most of the seniors, seeing as she skipped a grade, and her parents, who have allowed her to live alone, think that Jump City is a safe, quiet place for her to go to school. Star hoped she didn't screw it up for everyone.
The bald man stumbled out with an arm full of books. Beast Boy and Robin jumped up to catch the man as he tripped and fell, sending books scattering around everywhere. Raven caught a government book just as it was about to hit her head and mumbled a curse when one hit her lap. Star stood up and crouched down, gathering up all the textbooks while Robin and Beast Boy tried their best to push to man back up. He had to be at least 350 pounds, if not more. While they wrestled the man back up (his feet were not even touching the floor. When he fell, face first, Robin got the front end while Beast Boy was stuck with the tree-truck legs), students stopped to peer into the glass window that separated the office from the hallways to see what all the ruckus was about. They laughed, whispering about the new students and their clumsy principle.
What they saw was too attractive teens trying to push fat Mr. McDurmont up while the two stunning girls picked up the dropped books. It was quite a sight.
"Dude, I'm slipping!" Beast Boy's eye widened when he felt his feet slip.
"Wait, son. I can get up if you'd just release my feet." Slowly, Beast Boy dropped the feet , which weighed about a hundred a piece, and helped Robin push the man back to his feet. Mr. McDurmont dusted himself off, his chubby cheeks red with embarrassment.
"I can't thank you enough, young men. That was mighty sweet of you to save an old man from humiliation." Mr. McDurmont ushered the students from the hallways, threatening D-Halls and waving his plump hands.
Straightening his tie, the old man turned to the teens. "I'm Mr. McDurmont, as I've already said. I'm the principle of this school. I'll guide you through your stay here with us. If you'd follow me, I'll explain the rules of my school. Please, follow me."
Fighting hard to stay awake as the principle went on and on about the rules, the titans tried to think about something to keep them from snoring.
Beast Boy slouched down in his char, leaning his head against the back of the plump chair, and stared at the boring white walls.
"Now, I think there is something you should know…Titans." All fatigue was forgotten as their heads snapped up.
Speechless, the titans gawked at him. Robin's mouth opened, then shut, and finally he muttered, "We're horrible undercover agents. First Ethan, now you."
McDurmont chuckled, folding his hands behind his head and relaxing. He hated being so stiff and proper, and with the titans, he could be himself. He and his wife had watched the titans on TV since they became superheroes, and now that he was meeting them in person, he wanted them to know the real him, not the stiff-necked principle he was forced to be in front of his other students.
"You work with Darcy, right?"
They nodded. "She's our makeup artist," Raven said.
McDurmont grinned. "Darcy's my daughter. Since Alexander knew me and Darcy was popular with Twain's brother, he allowed her to help you. Alexander grew up next door to us. Did you know he's only thirty-two? Pretty young. He married his partner, too. Heard that she was injured pretty bad before they were married. He was there, too, when it happened. Poor man had a breakdown. But now he's got a little boy and I think she's pregnant again. Anyway, that's the only reason I know, so around me, you don't have to worry. I'm not gonna blab." He loosened his tie and kicked up his heels, leaning back against his office chair.
"Hmm." Robin glanced at his teammates. "So…when do we go to class."
McDurmont blinked, then his lips formed an O. "Oh, right. Go ahead. Your books are in the main office. Just pick on of each and be on your way." He winked at them and started to scribble on a notepad.
"Well," Beast Boy said as he dug for a Calculus book, "the world is full of surprises, huh?"
Robin grunted, handing an English book to Star. "That's an understatement. First, Ethan knows who we are, and now him."
Raven had no idea who Ethan was, but she kept quiet. Beast Boy's hand brushed hers, and they froze for a moment at the jolt, briefly making eye contact, then returned to searching for their books.
"I wonder how he found out," Star said to herself, adjusting her books until she was comfortable.
"He's the mayor's nephew. The mayor knew, so Ethan probably dug up info on us."
Starfire smiled. "It was so romantic of him to track us down just to help with Hannah."
Robin shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah. Romantic."
With a low chuckle, Starfire walked out of the office, her eyes going from her schedule, to the numbers above the doors. She was so scared. She was going to walk into a room and have more than a dozen students staring at her. Usually, she loved the attention, but not now. Now, she just wanted to go back to the tower and her normal life. But she had all those girls to think about. The ones who had lost their life because of some sick man with an obsession.
Robin slid to a stop beside her with a smile. "Since we have the same first period, I thought I'd walk you there."
She smiled at him. "How chivalrous of you, Grayson."
"Oh, yeah. Forgot about the names. Watch someone call out Grayson and I won't answer. People'll think I'm deaf or something. Maybe stupid." He shrugged, glancing at the dark blue lockers that lined the pale blue walls like soldiers. Bright paper decorated the walls without lockers, all talking about upcoming events or who to vote for in different clubs. A large, white banner came into view, with bold red letters. FORMAL SCHOOL DANCE, JANUARY 20th, 6P.M-12P.M.
Robin wrinkled his nose. He hated school dances…though the last dance he had been to, he had gotten the chance to dance with Star. Maybe they weren't so bad.
Starfire suddenly stopped, glancing up at the wooden door with something akin to dread. "Well, I think this is us," she mumbled. He noticed her deep breath and skimmed his lips across her cheek in comfort. "Don't worry, Star. I'm in the class with you, so you'll have me." She gave him a weak smile.
Adjusting her books once more, Starfire knocked on the door.
I know, I know. Not that productive, but I wanted to get them settled in to school and make sure the reader (you) knows their undercover personalities. I did it for a reason. Anyways, I am so sorry it took so long to get this chapter, but it's been pandemonium in my neck of the woods. My baby cousin was put in the hospital again and bunches of other crap was shoved on me, so…but at least you have this. It's not the most enjoyable chapter, but their problems are just starting. So, enjoy, and I'll work on the next chapter, where they meet knew people and new problems.
Agus go gcasfar le chéile sinn arís! (And until we meet again, in Gaelic.)
Jessimudflap
