Chapter 8: Plans

Rating: T

Date: Wednesday, January 2, 2019

A/N: Ay! First update of the year! Happy New Years everyone! Hooray! Sorry it took so long, I hope the length makes up for it.

Plans

"Hello, friend Garfield!" Kory greeted as she took a seat next to him during their second-period art class.

"Please call me Gar, Kory. I always cringe when I hear my full name," he admitted before glancing at her.

"Oh, I am sorry! Gar…" she corrected herself, "I hope you are having a most wonderful morning today!"

Garfield grinned. It had been a good morning considering Steve was still out on his business trip and Rita had cooked him his favorite breakfast meal: pancakes with extra syrup and tofu eggs on the side. "Thanks, Kory, it's been good so far. What about you?"

Kory clapped her hands together and beamed, her smile almost enlivening the whole classroom. Her eyes practically glimmered as she talked to Garfield about her morning, "Oh it has been wonderful! Dick and I spoke during the first hour, and he invited me to go get the ice cream with him after school! I cannot wait for-"

Garfield did a double take and almost fell off his chair. He turned around in a rather dramatic motion. "Woah, Dick asked you out?" he interrupted her with eyes like saucers. "Dude, I didn't think he'd have the guts!" he blurted out with a laugh and a pat to his knee. "Good for you," he patted Kory's shoulder. She examined him with bewildered eyes.

"Please friend, do not all humans have 'the guts' as you put it?" Kory tilted her head in confusion.

"It's an expression," Garfield waved a hand to dismiss it, and he changed the topic, "So you guys are going out this afternoon?"

"Ah, yes! I am most excited about it!" Kory smiled dreamily as girls usually did with guys like Dick. Sometimes Garfield felt a tint of jealousy at his friend but quickly dismissed it when he realized girls also swooned over him yet he usually ignored them. Though at that moment, he felt more jealous about the fact that Dick had a date with a girl he liked, yet Garfield couldn't even get the girl he liked to direct him a word.

"That's great, Kory. Just take it easy on Dick," he joked. "Human emotions aren't his specialty after all." And then it hit him. His eyes grew wide as an idea popped into mind. Perhaps he could get a date with the girl he liked if only…

"Hey, since you guys seem to be getting more friendlier around each other… Vic, Dick, and I were going to the carnival tomorrow afternoon. Why don't you join us?" he offered inconspicuously. They hadn't planned anything, but she didn't need to know that. Plus, Garfield was convinced they'd say yes, hopefully anyway.

"Oh! That would be most spectacular!" she uttered, though she furrowed her eyebrows after a short second. "But… Will I not be interrupting your male bonding time..?" Kory questioned.

"Not really! In fact, why don't you bring a friend if you're so worried about it?" Garfield grinned, making sure to keep his tone persuasive and unforced. He pretended to absentmindedly fiddle with the eraser on his pencil while staring at the table, and then, he went in for the kill. "You know, Raven doesn't seem to go out too often. Don't you think it'd be good for her to socialize and have some fun?"

"That would be perfect! But…" Kory's eyes fell to the ground. With disappointment in her tone, she stated, "I am afraid Raven would never accept such an invitation."

"Why not? You haven't tried," Garfield persisted.

"Well, no but… Raven is most complicated. She does not consider me as good of a friend as I consider her. I do not believe she would accept my invitation, especially if it means going out to a crowded place with other friends…" she explained in a low voice.

"Aw, Kory! Don't give up before you've even tried. I personally believe you'd be the perfect candidate to convince her to go. In fact, why don't we both try to convince her during lunchtime today? We team up against her and make it practically impossible for her to deny the invitation. That sound good?" Garfield proposed while placing a hand on Kory's shoulder.

Her visage brightened, and she gave him a white-toothed smile. "Yes! If we both do the 'teaming up' against her, we may be able to convince her!" Kory loudly squealed.

"What's up, Rae?" Garfield asked with his signature goofy grin as he plopped down in front of her during lunchtime. As usual, her nose was buried inside a book, and she held an apple on her hand while taking occasional bites every time she turned a page.

"Don't call me Rae," she replied in her monotone voice, her eyes not leaving the object in front of her. Garfield felt glad that she was at least talking to him today.

He played around with his fork and directed his gaze to the table, "So, why were you out yesterday during government?"

"What's it to you?" her eyes trailed off the page and towards him with a surreptitious glance.

Garfield placed his hands in the air like he was being detained (which he felt often during his conversations with Raven), "Woah, no need to act aggressively. I was just curious. You miss a lot of days, and if you keep it up, you could be expelled," he shrugged, pretending not to care.

Raven shut her book and gently placed it on the table, "I doubt they'd expel me."

"How are you so sure?" Garfield inquired curiously. Maybe he could get some sort of answer out of her, though he always seemed to acquire more of a puzzle when he pressured her during their conversations, and he wasn't the best at solving puzzles.

"That's for me to know," she simply stated.

"... And for me to find out?" he furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head as she hadn't finished the saying. Was she trying to play hard to get? With a girl like Raven, it seemed improbable, and she wasn't exactly as easy to read as other girls.

"No. Just for me to know," Raven deadpanned as she grabbed her book and opened it again.

"Hey y'all, the party is officially here!" Victor exclaimed as he patted Garfield's back and sat down next to him. Dick took the seat next to Victor while Kory took the seat by Raven.

"Hello, friends!" Kory greeted while Dick simply gave an acknowledging nod.

"Hey Vic, you sitting here today?" Garfield asked as he glanced back at their old table where Jinx, Wally, Karen, Toni, and Roy were still sitting at along with some newcomers he couldn't recognize from the distance.

Victor prepped his hamburger as he answered, "Yeah, why wouldn't I sit with my best buds? What were y'all talking about, anyway?"

"Nothing," Garfield shrugged. Raven remained quiet as she munched on her apple and kept her eyes fixated on the pages of her book.

Garfield glanced at Kory and silently nodded when she locked eyes with him. She took a bite of her own hamburger before rolling their plan into motion, "Friend Raven-"

"You don't have to say 'friend' everytime you talk to one of your friends Kory," Raven interrupted her without so much as a glance.

Kory contained the need to squeal after hearing Raven acknowledge her as a friend. There were more important manners at hand, after all. "Raven," she started again. "Gar, Dick, Vic and I will be attending the carnival tomorrow afternoon-" Victor stopped chewing his hamburger and watched her with a baffled gaze while Dick seemingly choked on his drink. Garfield internally cringed when he realized he had forgotten to inform them about the plan. He locked eyes with Vic who regarded him with a questioning glance. Garfield simply shrugged as if to reply 'just go along with it.' He turned back to Kory all within the span of a second, "-and we would like for you to attend with us! It will be most fun! We may play the bottle games and ride the fun contraptions and do so many wonderfully exciting things! Will you please join us?" she asked with beaming puppy dog eyes. Raven put her book down and finally directed her a glance.

The sound in the cafeteria seemed to quiet down, and Garfield swore he could feel the air around them come to a halt (though he might've been exaggerating a bit but that's what it felt like to him). He internally readied his most persuasive voice and every argument he could use for the sake of convincing Raven to go (all of which he had written down and memorized during Biology).

"Okay," Raven responded.

"-but it's going to be so much…" Garfield paused as he processed her answer. The dots in his head didn't seem to properly connect, and he turned to her with a flabbergasted expression. "Wait a second! Did you just agree!?" Both Victor and Kory looked as astounded as Garfield did while Dick seemingly watched her with an arched eyebrow and what Garfield presumed were inquisitive eyes (he couldn't really see them through his shades).

Raven peered at him with a blank face before asking, "Did you not want me to agree?"

Garfield quickly recovered and started shaking his head frantically, "No, no, no! That's not what I meant! It's just-" he scratched the back of his head nervously and chuckled awkwardly, "I thought it'd be harder to convince you, that's all."

"I see," Raven simply voiced before directing her attention to her novel again.

The table remained overtly silent, though the confusion and shock seemed to morph into curiosity as everyone began to speculate the reason for her quick and off-character response. Dick was the first to recognize it, "I don't mean to pry but… Why did you agree? You don't seem to be the kind to enjoy the carnival, and I never really thought you'd agree to do something outside of school with us…"

Garfield wanted to glare at him, but honestly, he was pretty stunned himself and he also wanted to know her reason.

Raven shrugged her shoulders dismissively as if she were expecting the question, "I figured Kory would become more insistent if I denied the invitation, and Garfield would join her in an effort to get me to agree. Then Vic would eventually jump in to act as a wingman to his friend, and I'd spend the whole lunch period attempting to decline instead of enjoying some valuable reading time. Not to mention it doesn't seem that horrible of an idea considering you and Kory would be entranced with each other, and I figure Gar and Vic will distract themselves trying to prove who's better in useless carnival games," she affirmed while locking eyes with Dick whose face was now turning a bright shade of pink at the insinuation of him and Kory. "But it's just a hunch," she deadpanned as she looked back at her book.

"Ookay… So, we're going out tomorrow then…" Victor repeated the surprise plan while sending a 'you're-going-to-owe-me-after-this-one' kind of glance to Garfield. "Am I picking anyone up?"

"I can drive," Dick declined his offer before turning to Kory. "Do you, um, need a ride?"

Kory blushed and nodded, "That would be nice." She fluttered her eyelids and twirled a lock of her hair around her finger in the kind of innocently-naive-yet-hot way (as Wally had dubbed it) that Kory usually acted in.

"What about you, Rae? Want a ride?" Garfield wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"No thank you," Raven ignored his innuendo, taking it much better than he'd expected. Perhaps he could keep pushing her to see where it took him, though it seemed like a big risk. But then again, Garfield lived for risks. He silently took it as a future challenge.

"How are you gonna get there?" Victor posed, attempting to help out his friend. Garfield really did owe it to him. He tried not to worry about the future payments Vic would undeniably demand from him.

Raven's eyes didn't leave her book as she turned the page and took another bite of her apple, "I have a car."

"You have a car!? But I always see you walking!" Garfield alleged while pointing an accusatory finger at her.

"Just because I walk everywhere doesn't mean I don't have a car," Raven regarded him like he was an idiot.

"Heh, that's true…" Garfield replied while scratching the back of his head.

"Alright, so we're all set. Tomorrow at five sound good to everyone?" Victor confirmed. Everyone agreed, and the conversation carried on with Kory talking about her experience in cheerleading while Raven continued to read. Though Garfield nodded intently as Kory spoke to act like he was paying attention, his mind was too focused on brainstorming a plan for tomorrow. He smiled to himself, a sensation of excitement pooling inside his stomach as his mind conjured all sorts of dreamy scenarios with Raven. Maybe he was getting too ahead of himself.

Garfield strolled out of the cafeteria with his hands in his pockets attempting to act smooth yet admittedly bursting with thrill from the inside. As he rounded the corner, he heard Kory's loud squeal before she jumped him from behind by putting her arms around him and practically swooping him off the floor.

"Kory- I can't breathe-" he choked out.

The girl bounced back while appearing embarrassed with herself. "I am sorry Gar! I am just so excited for tomorrow evening! I cannot believe Raven has agreed to go with us! We may finally spend time all together as friends! I am so happy that she has gotten more comfortable with us!" she vociferously confessed.

"That's great Kory, I'm excited too," Garfield managed a smile as he rubbed his aching ribs. He swore that girl had some kind of super-alien strength within her.

Kory continued blabbing about what they could do tomorrow as they walked to class alongside each other, though Garfield wasn't exactly listening to her. He felt like an inevitable twister was developing inside his stomach as he began to realize how anxious he really was. Sure, he considered himself to be pretty smooth with the ladies, but Raven was the kind he hadn't encountered—and it both thrilled and terrified him at the same time.

"... and perhaps you two could also ride the wheel of romance together!" That caught his attention.

"Woah! Woah! What are you going on about?" Garfield came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the hallway. Kory turned to him with a smile as wide as the Joker's, "You and Raven! I have noticed the liking you have taken to her, and I think it would be wonderful to-"

"Hold up! I don't like Raven!" Garfield refuted while shaking his head. Was he really that obvious about his little crush? "Where did you get that from!?"

"Well… The way you look at her and try to include her in activities and you constantly annoy her to gain her attention... I believed it was easy to figure out," she innocently pointed out.

"But… Ugh! Fine!" Garfield crossed his arms while letting out an irritated huff. He was tired of continuously having to deny the accusations about his crush on Raven. He might as well just give in to the truth.

"So you do like her!?" Kory squealed as she jumped around in her spot and applauded.

Garfield quickly covered her mouth with his hand and looked around to make sure the hallway was empty. He sighed and released his hand, "Kory, please don't declare it out loud to the whole world," he spoke in a hushed whisper. "And I thought you already knew?"

Kory lowered her voice, "I hadn't confirmed it until you did." She smiled mischievously.

That sneaky little- "Well, I guess you know now," he breathed. "No use in denying it."

"I believe I could be of most assistance!" Kory perked up.

Garfield raised an intrigued eyebrow, "I'm listening."

"I could act as the 'wingman' you guys often speak about," she clapped her hands cheerfully. "Perhaps by getting you two alone together or talking positively about you or telling you valuable information you could use to impress her!"

Garfield scanned her carefully before he asked, "You'd really do that for me?"

Kory nodded her head like an excited little kid. Garfield suddenly beamed and tackled her with a hug, "Thanks, Kory! You're the best!"

From the corner, a devilish redhead was watching the exchange go down. He grinned slyly as he covertly ambled to his homeroom class and approached the jet black-haired individual he was searching for. He leaned casually on his desk and grinned when the individual looked up, "Hey Dick, perhaps you should make a move on your lady already. It seems like Gar and her are getting more cozy with each other."

Dick narrowed his eyes, "What are you going on about this time, Wally?"

"Gar and Kory," he pointed his thumb back at the door. "They seem to be getting really comfortable with each other. You know, being physically affectionate and all. Just saying, if you want Kory for yourself, you best make a move before he does," he smirked.

"Gar and Kory?" Dick huffed and waved his hand, dismissing his allegation like it was totally implausible. "Yeah right, like that'll ever happen."

Wally shrugged his shoulders, "Whatever you want to believe, dude. But don't deny that you're not even a little curious about what I mean," he winked before heading to his seat in the back next to Jinx.

"What was that about?" Jinx questioned as she regarded Wally with a curious glance. "You're starting your little childish games again? What is it now?" she spoke with interest.

Wally snickered before plopping down next to her, "You'll see soon, Jinxy-poo."

"Stop calling me that!" she slapped his shoulder.

"Ow," Wally rubbed the spot and sent her a glare. "When you stop being so violent," he stuck his tongue out while Jinx simply crossed her arms and muttered something about a 'childish bastard.'

Meanwhile, Dick sat on his desk with fists clenched and eyebrows furrowed. He reflected on the information Wally had just provided. He had been so convinced that Garfield was head over heels for Raven, and Wally wasn't exactly the best resource for information considering he loved spreading false rumors to entertain himself… But what if?

"You seem to be thinking very loudly over there," a monotone voice pointed out next to him.

Dick turned to see Raven on the desk by him observing him intently. Had she heard what Wally had just told him?

"Uh… It's nothing, just…" Dick hesitated before he voiced his speculation. "... Do you think Kory and Gar could be… more than friends?"

Raven considered his words for a moment, her face devoid of any expression, "I wouldn't be surprised if they were. They are very alike after all, and they get along very well, though I was convinced Kory had a thing for you," she admitted.

Dick contemplated her judgment carefully. Raven was very good at reading people it seemed, and her ideas sounded reasonable, after all. So did that mean..?

"I thought so too…" he replied quietly while directing his gaze at the ground. He decided there was only one person he could ask who was pretty good at interpreting people's behaviors and who knew Gar better than he knew himself.

And Dick was insistent on getting to the bottom of this new predicament.

*Victor minded his own business as he cruised down the hallway feeling rather proud about his A+ on his pre-calculus test. He opened his locker and inserted his history book. When he shut the locker door, his heart practically skipped a beat as Dick seemingly teleported next to him. He clutched his heart and regarded him with shock, "Dude! Don't do that to me! I was about to knock you out 'cause I thought you were the spirit of that dead theater girl!"

Dick sent him a questioning glance, "How do you knock out- Never mind! We need to talk."

Then, with his usual mysterious bad boy demeanor, he headed towards the boys' bathroom in the lone hallway. Victor followed him curiously, and once the door to the bathroom closed, he asked, "So... What's this about?"

"Hold on," Dick held his hand out before opening all of the stalls to make sure no one was spying on their conversation. Sometimes, he thought Dick was a bit too paranoid for his own good. "Alright, the premise is secured."

Victor huffed amusingly and crossed his arms, "Alright crazy guy, what's up?"

"Have you noticed anything odd about Kory recently?" Dick questioned as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms in an unusual way.

"Dude, you brought me to the boys' restroom acting all mysterious and shit and 'secured the premise' all to talk about Kory?" he snickered. "You gotta chill out, man. You always seem to be on edge."

"Okay, maybe I wasn't specific enough," Dick sighed and uncrossed his arms. "Have you noticed something odd about Kory and Gar?"

Victor raised an eyebrow, "Uh… No? Why?"

"... Has Gar mentioned anything about her? Like… Has he taken any unusual interest?" Dick questioned.

Victor opened his mouth to deny it until he realized he could toy around with Dick as payback for the time him and Gar convinced both Karen and Sarah (one of his good friends) that he wanted to go out with them on the same day. "Actually…" he started, trying to contain a grin. "Now that you mention it, I have been noticing that Gar's been hanging around Kory more often. Not to mention, Kory seems to enjoy his company a lot. So maybe…"

Dick stared at him with an appalled countenance and stuttered a few syllables, though none were audible enough to comprehend. Okay, so maybe Victor was being a little too cruel with the guy. He did seem to be pretty hung up on Kory.

"Dude, I'm just kidding!" Victor chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. "You really are head over heels for this girl, huh? Don't worry about Gar and Kory. They're basically like siblings. Plus, they're too alike to ever work properly in a relationship. Gar also seems to be pretty into Raven at the moment. The little guy can't shut up about her!"

"Really..?" Dick let out a relieved breath. Then he quickly stammered, "I mean… I'm not head over heels for Kory. She's a great girl and all, but I don't know her enough to, you know, like her in a romantic sense."*

"Sure thing," Victor wiggled his eyebrows before snickering again. "Now who gave you this dumb idea that Kory and Gar were an item?"

Dick sighed, "Wally…"

"Wally!? Dude!" Victor yelled. "You know better than to trust that dude! You know he's always wanting to start drama! He's the one who came up with the rumor about Kitty and you last year!"

Dick hung his head in shame, "Yeah, I know… Just, I don't know, I had to make sure."

Victor shook his head, "Just don't trust that guy. Someone really has to give him a taste of his own medicine…" he muttered.

Two invisible lightbulbs above their heads lit up, and they locked eyes at the exact same moment. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" Dick asked with a devilish grin.

Victor grinned back and rubbed his hands as if readying them for a wicked plan, "We're going to give this guy a taste of the worst medicine there is."

"Revenge," they both asserted at the same time.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter is carnival time so don't miss it! Also, I wrote a one-shot recently, and if you're enjoying this story, you'd probably enjoy it. It's not an AU, but I personally feel like it's really sweet. It's full of fluff! Check it out by clicking on my profile and scrolling down to my stories. Also, please review! It makes me really happy, even if they're constructive criticism. It helps me improve the fanfiction for you guys! And if you have any suggestions or anything you'd like to see, just ask!

Shout out to jean carter in the reviews who suggested the scene *in between stars* with Victor and Dick! If anyone wants to suggest a scene, just PM me or type it in the reviews!

S1L3NTSH1NG4M1 - Totally agree!

Guest - I just simply lost interest in the series, and it's hard to write fanfictions when you don't have a good feel for the characters anymore.