Hey Guys!

I know it's been forever since I've updated! I'm truly sorry. I'm sorry to say this might be the last time I update for a while. Softball season is starting up and since I'll be playing for my high school team (I'm a starter for the Varsity team!) and for my select team, I'll have little down time. Plus with school on top of that, I'm going to be swamped.

I posted a new chapter on Tea Stain earlier this month so go look at that if you'd like.

I appreciate you sticking with this story even if it's been slow and boring.

I might have to change the rating on this story because of swearing, but I don't know. "Bitch" and "sex" really aren't that bad…

Kisses!

-JB11

P.S. I alternate between calling Barbra, Barbra and Babs.

Disclaimer: Still don't own Teen Titans. Still wish I did.

Everything Changes: Chapter 4

TT

Barbra was really getting on Richard's nerves. Richard really liked his girlfriend, but she was just too much sometimes. Richard kept trying to talk to Kori, learn more about her and become better friends, but Barbra kept getting in the way, directing the conversation to inside jokes to confuse Kori and pretending that Kori wasn't even in the conversation. When Kori would say something or ask about Barbra's inside jokes, Barbra would just wrinkle her nose (which wasn't as cute as when Kori did it) or scoff. It was really pissing him off.

That doesn't even mention the constant flirting. Barbra kept twirling her hair and batting her eyelashes at him. I mean, they were already dating, had been dating for a few months now, there was no need for her to flirt. Richard just wanted to rip all her hair out and tape her eyes open.

Kori noticed all of these things and more. Richard didn't see it, but Kori definitely saw the death glares from Barbra as they were directed at her. Kori wasn't new to being the target of hatred, her parents sent her older sister Komi to a boarding school in Ireland because Komi bullied Kori when they were younger. Kori just didn't understand how Barbra could hate her so much. They had just met!

The bell signaling the start of first period rang, but Barbra ignored it, continuing her constant flirting and rudeness.

"Ms. Gordon, I suggest you take your seat," Ms. Ivy said.

"Ms. Ivy, I am in my seat," Barbra replied, her voice laced with false sweetness. Rachel raised a perfect eyebrow at this. Rachel might not like all the teachers at her high school, but she would never disrespect one.

Barbra turned back to Richard with a flip of her hair and a smile on her face.

"Ms. Gordon, if you don't want detention for the next month, you will return to your proper desk, keep your comments to yourself and refrain from aggravating me." Richard looked at Barbra and shrugged. Victor and Gar smirked at one another. None of Richard's friends liked Barbra; she wasn't mean per say to them, just not the nicest.

Barbra glared at Ms. Ivy and dragged her chair back to her desk. Ms. Ivy began talking to the class about the usual first day jibberish. Barbra kept turning around in her seat to smile at Richard. Rachel caught Kori's eyes, then ripped a sheet of paper out of her notebook, scribbled a note on it and slid it across the desk to Kori. Kori glanced once at Rachel who had turned her attention back to Ms. Ivy as if nothing had happened. Checking to make sure Ms. Ivy wasn't watching her, Kori looked at the note on her desk. It read:

Don't worry about Barbra. She's a bitch most of the time. It's part of her job description as the most popular girl in school.

Kori grabbed her pencil and wrote:

I don't think she likes me…

Rachel quickly scribbled, her pencil flowing across the paper with ease:

She's just jealous.

Kori wrote in her perfect shorthand:

Jealous? Why?

The conversation continued in this way, back and forth.

Apparently, she thinks she has competition with you for Richard.

Competition? There is no competition between us. Barbra already has Richard; she should know that by now.

She's self-conscious, plus I hear they are having relationship issues. I guess it's not that easy being the "it" couple.

Kori glimpsed at Rachel, eyebrows raised in surprise. Kori then quickly folded the paper and stuck it in a pocket in her backpack. Kori couldn't believe it. They seemed like the perfect couple, the most popular boy and the most popular girl. I mean, it is a little cliché, but it's true. The most popular boys and girls usually do make the cutest couples. Kori looked side-ways at Richard. It was fairly obvious why he was the most popular kid in school, handsome, athletic, kind, and did I mention gorgeous? Richard caught Kori's eyes and smiled at her. Kori returned his smile with a small one of her own. Kori then looked at Babs. Babs was pretty with long curly red hair and she was definitely beautiful, but her personality was not her best asset. I guess to get on top, you have to play bitchy.

At that moment the bell rang. "You ready to go to math, Kori?" Richard asked, reaching for Kori's hand to help her out of her chair (not that she needed it or anything, she's perfectly capable of standing up on her own. Richard was just being polite). Kori looked up at Richard and smiled. Before she could grab his hand, Barbra slid in between the two and grasped Richard's awaiting hand and fluttered her eyelashes again.

"Dick, what's your schedule?" Barbra asked with sickening sweetness. Kori gritted her teeth to refrain from saying something she would regret. This girl was really annoying her. Victor, Gar, and Rachel just stared at her. Barbra was making a fool out of herself.

While Richard and Barbra talked schedules, Kori walked around the table to Rachel. Rachel and Kori walked slowly out of the room. The girls talked about the class and Ms. Ivy telling off Barbra. Kori giggled when Rachel mentioned the look on Babs face after Ms. Ivy had threatened her. Rachel even cracked a small smile. Kori's happiness was contagious, even to a girl with a hardened heart like Rachel.

"Dick, this is our only class together," Babs pouted, sticking out her bottom lip and scrunching her eyebrows together.

"That's too bad," Richard said, doing his best to hide his relief. Honestly, her pouting face was not the prettiest; it was actually kind of ugly.

"Maybe I can ask Principal Slade to change my schedule," Barbra said.

Richard panicked. 7 hours with Babs five days a week. It sounded like torture. "Ahh, that's ok. We have first period together and we'll get to see each other after school too."

Barbra looked around before leaning in closer to Richard with pursed lips. "I don't like that Kara girl."

"Kori," Richard correctly shortly. Richard used to think she was the nicest girl he had ever met, but she was acting like a real bitch.

"Whatever. I think she's just acting all innocent," Barbra leaned in even closer, her minty breath tickling Richard's nose, "To you know, have sex with you."

Richard crossed his arms and stared at Barbra. "Like how you act all innocent around other people?" That's right, Richard's not completely oblivious.

"That's not innocence, it is kindness."

Richard just stared at her again. "You don't have to like all of my friends."

Barbra frowned. 'I don't like any of your friends,' she thought.

"Look, I have to go to math. Kori's probably waiting for me. I'll talk to you later."

"Kay, bye," Barbra said flipping her hair behind her shoulder and walking over to her friends. Her heels clicking as she went.

In Math Class:

Richard walked into the classroom right before the bell rang, before taking a quick sweep of the room. There was Kori in the third row. Her purple backpack sat on the seat between her and the window on her right.

Richard approached her and put a hand on her shoulder. Kori jumped in her seat and put a hand to her chest. "Richard, you scared me!"

"I'm sorry."

"It is fine."

"Do you mind?" Richard said gesturing to the desk occupied by Kori's backpack.

"I was actually saving it for you," Kori said smiling up at him sweetly. Richard smiled back before hanging her backpack on the back of her chair and sitting down at the desk.

Mr. Numerous babbled on about the course and the importance of keeping up with the work, etc., etc., before passing out a pre-test.

"When you finish taking the test, you may talk quietly to your neighbor or listen to music," Mr. Numerous said.

Richard looked at the first question:

"Based on the parent function f(x)=1/x, write the equation of the line translated left 3 units, up 7 units, reflected, and dilated by 6."

Richard glanced over the rest of the test, and then finally stood up to turn in an empty answer sheet to Mr. Numerous. He had no idea what the right answers were, besides, it was a pre-test so it wouldn't count as a grade and he wasn't supposed to know how to solve the problems anyway. Richard returned to his seat and glanced at Kori who was scribbling down an answer to a problem. Richard's jaw dropped slightly, how could she know how to solve these? Richard watched her answer a few more before she stood up to turn in her answers. When she returned, Richard just looked at her.

"How did you know how to do those problems?" He whispered while pulling out his phone and ear buds.

"I only knew a few of them," Kori shrugged.

"Here," Richard said handing her the right ear bud, while putting the left one in his own ear. Kori put in the ear bud and tapped her fingers along to one of her all time favorite songs, "The Giving Tree" by the Plain White Tees. The two stayed like this for the rest of the period, listening to Richard's music, Richard doodling on his notebook and Kori tapping her fingers lightly on the desk to the beat.

Kori looked over at Richard's notebook. His sketches were beautiful. It looked like he was working on somebody's portrait, and it looked amazing. He really had a talent. She tapped the edge of his notebook and his gaze met hers. "I like it," Kori mouthed.

Richard smiled sheepishly at her and mouthed back, "It's nothing."

"You have a real talent," Kori continued the silent conversation. "Who are you drawing?"

Richard blushed, "Umm, you?" He said almost like a question.

Kori blushed too and looked back at the sketch. "Can I have it when you are done?"

"Sure." The two stayed silent for a while, before Richard's pencil went back to scratching across the paper and sketching out her eyes.

The bell finally rang and Richard took back is ear bud. "Would you like me to walk you to your next class?"

"No that is okay. Thank you though, Richard."

"Alright, I'll see in Euro then."

"Yes. Good-bye, Richard."

"See ya."

The two went their separate ways. Their thoughts plagued with each other.