Always Been You
Chapter 3: Santa's daughter?
Disclaimer: same as the last chapters
She stirred hearing the distant ringing. "Go away." She whined and held a pillow over her head.
The ring came again. Blindly she reached for her phone. Picking it up she brought it clumsily to her ear. "Hello?" She said groggily.
"Jen?"
"Tim?" She asked with narrowed eyes as she squinted to her alarm clock. 2:36. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"
"Yea. Sorry. I just… had to know something."
"If you or someone else isn't dying, this can wait till morning." Jen said grumpily into the phone.
He was silent for a moment. Jen sighed. "What do you want?"
"Um… Raven. Is she… has she said… I mean, does she…"
Jen sleepily laughed at him. "Why don't you just talk to her?"
"And say what?" He asked sullenly.
"I don't know. Whatever it is that's bothering you. How about 'I love you and I don't want to be with Kori anymore.' For starters. I'm sure you can manage from there."
"She must say something to you." He said completely ignoring her previous statement.
"Of course she says stuff to me. She tells me everything." She said happily. That hadn't changed with their time apart.
She wasn't making this easy. The plan was, he hints about Raven and she starts talking. "Jen, I…" He trailed off once again.
"I'll make this effortless for you, Timmy. She needs a co-planner for Breakfast with Santa. That's where you come in. It'll be just like old times."
Old times. That sounded good. "She's already agreed to this?"
"More or less." Jen said with a smile and her eyes closed once again. "You meet her in the A.V. room on Thursday after school to start planning. Now, good night." She said sternly and hung up the phone. Almost instantly did she fall asleep before the phone had escaped her hand.
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"Hey girls. You joining us?" Gar charmed from the top of the bleachers. He was turned around looking at Karen, Libby and Donna.
Donna just shook her head with a wide grin and a roll of her eyes.
With a smack to his arm, Gar turned to face Garth. "You are pathetic." He said before being consumed back in his book.
"What!" Gar whined turning to see who was sitting by him. His normal friends. Victor and Tim sat in front of him with Roy on the other side of Garth. A few feet away sat a small group of Freshman girls. None looking too interesting, but they would do for now until something more appealing came along. He slid over and sparked a conversation.
Victor turned from watching Gar and looked to Tim. "He's pitiable. Chases anything on two legs with breasts."
Tim chuckled. He looked to the door just in time to see his dream walk in. It was like a slow motion movie. One long step placed her left foot in front of her and she brushed her hair back. She was looking to Jen who was telling a story while smiling. Raven smiled back. In a long blink her head turned and like a homing beacon their eyes met. She kept her smile and nodded in response to whatever Jen was saying.
She walked past the swooning sophomores and their groups of misfits as she stood at the bottom of the bleachers. He watched her. He was transfixed on her image. Lost in her eyes. In a daze his feet walked him down to her. He held out his hand. She placed her soft pale one in his and he pulled her up the first step. He stood in the foot divot behind it. She was a few inches higher than he.
She smiled exotically.
"So… can I come over tonight?"
"You know you cant." She answered back. Her smile danced. "My parents won't be home."
He pulled her in gently by the front of her shirt. "That's why I asked." He said softly before kissing her lightly.
"Rob, you are all talk, you know that?" She said shaking her head to move her hair.
He reached his free hand for her books and removed them from her grasp. He liked her hands free so she would wrap them around him. And she did. They snaked around his waist loosely.
"I'm not. I just like to keep you wanting more." He pressed her books to her back closing the remaining gap. He kissed her nose and looked at her sideways.
Raven rolled her eyes. "Just like a guy. That damn pride's getting in your way to be honest."
Tim chuckled. "OK." He whispered. "I'm scared." His words were almost silent.
But she heard them. In response she kissed him. Their second real kiss.
His honesty always earned him brownie points with her. She rewarded it with great passion. He always got the attention he so desired when she heard what he really thought or felt. And she could always tell when he was being honest. It was strange, really. Her kissing him made him want to scream in delight. He wanted to lose himself in her embrace forever.
Too soon he was called back from his memory. Star had kissed his cheek and taken her seat next to him, scooted as close as she could get. He searched the incoming crowd for Raven. He had missed her. She was already seated somewhere. He cursed to himself.
"Good morning, Timmy." Star chirped.
Tim masked his annoyance and irritability with a smile to her. "Morning Kori."
Terra jumped the steps from the bottom and sat on the opposite side of Tim. Only then did he realize Vic had removed himself and gone down to talk to his team. The girls talked over him for a few moments before Gar took Star's attention in some mindless joke he was telling to the group behind him. Tim searched the crowd once more.
"Stop looking for her." Terra jeered next to him.
Tim eyed her annoyingly. "I'm not looking for anyone." He said in an undertone from the corner of his mouth.
Terra smiled devilishly. "Whatever. But just so you know, she's behind us."
Almost in reflex he turned. She was two levels behind him and to his right.
She looked up from her conversation with Gar, Star and Garth. She, Jen, Kendra and Karen had joined his group of friends. She gave him a half smirk and turned back as she said something.
He faced forward again. Her voice graced his ears pleasantly.
"Gar invited them." Terra said before leaving his side and joining the conversation herself.
Tim took a deep breath and kept his attention to the empty podium. Well, maybe not his attention… but his eyes anyway.
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The two o'clock bell rang. Tim didn't get out of his seat. Instead he sat and watched as everyone cleared out. Slowly but surely the class room was emptied. He looked around. It held no memories. Of her anyways. But there was one of another.
"Hey, man." Vic came in and slapped him on the back of his shoulder.
Tim was pushed slightly forward. He gave him a glare. "Hey."
Vic rolled his eyes and took a seat next to his increasingly sour friend. "I talked to Jenny this morning."
Tim sighed. This always led to the same thing. Raven. The one he lost. Tim closed his eyes. Unless she was on her way back, he didn't want to hear it. "If it involved Raven or anything remotely concerning her, you can save the details." He said crossly.
Vic watched him and frowned. "I won't tell you then. Just remember that later when you ask and I say nothing." He got up as the teacher walked in.
She looked like a mouse, he thought. Gray stringy hair, small round spectacles over beady dark eyes and her mouth seemed to come to a slight point resembling a twitching nose. Add some whiskers and she'd be the perfect model of why always keeping a bitter expression is bad for you.
He chuckled to himself. That would be the exact thing Raven would have slapped him for. His grin faded at her memory. He sighed and closed his eyes remembering his beautiful girlfriend. Or rather, his beautiful ex-girlfriend. Her image danced in his mind. Her black satin hair, deep violet eyes. It was hard to get her to smile. Only he had figured out a few tricks to get one out of her every time. And he longed for those smiles. They sent his heart to his throat. He fell to putty when she'd give him a smile. Even the faintest one.
His memory of her was cut short by the teacher. Whatever she was saying, Tim looked to his notebook. He started to doodle until he was smacked on the back lightly. It was Roy who was sitting behind him. He didn't bother to look up.
Roy smacked him again. "Tim, our new girl's got her eyes on you." He snickered in his ear.
New girl? Since when?
Tim looked up. Brilliant green eyes were settled on him. She had extremely long red hair that fell to her lower back. She was tall and tanned. Her slender body shown through her snugly fitted clothing. Her smile was soft and unmistakably innocent.
Tim just stared at her for a long time while she stood up there and introduced herself. Her name was Kori Anders. She was a transfer form Tamaran, England and would be attending the school until graduation. When she did finally take her seat she sat with Terra Markov. That choice was against his better judgment.
She glanced back a few times with her charmingly shy smile.
When the bell rang signifying the end of the period, everyone scrambled to the door. Tim gathered his books and walked aimlessly as well. He was enthralled in a piece of paper he had been doodling on when he felt himself be knocked a little. Assuming it was Vic or Roy again, he paid them no mind.
But it was a soft voice that graced his ears. "Pardon me. I am afraid I am a bit clumsy today. Perhaps it is from the nerves of starting in a new school."
Tim turned to look at the model-like Tamaranian. He smiled a little. "Don't worry about it."
She blushed a little. "My name is Kori. Everyone has always called me Star though. It is to your choosing which you prefer." She held out her hand shyly, a slight pink still embedded on her cheeks.
Tim took her hand in his and let a smile linger a little longer. "I'm Tim Drake. Nice to meet you, Kori."
And for a single moment, Raven was not on his mind.
"Tim!"
Tim looked up form his notebook to the pink-haired girl standing in the door to the empty class he still sat in. He looked to her blankly.
"It's almost twenty past. What's the hold up?" Jen asked.
Tim stood and grabbed his notebook before heading for the door. "Got sidetracked." He said lamely as he and Jen made their way to the A.V. room. He had to meet Raven. The butterflies were starting to dance in his stomach now. He felt it rumble anxiously as a sick feeling planted itself firmly.
"You have some ideas?"
Tim looked to her as if seeing her for the first time. "For what?"
Jen giggled. "Breakfast with Santa. What else?"
"Oh." Tim said dumbly. Truthfully the reason he was going to see Raven slipped his mind. It was the part about seeing her and talking to her that had his attention. It had been almost two and a half months since she had gotten back. They had only spoken four times. And during those four times, it was like he was just learning to talk and the words came out all screwy.
"You're a helpless cause." Jen said giggling again. "I'll see you later." She said before taking another hall away from him and his direction.
The A.V. room was directly ahead of him now. The light was obviously on. She would be waiting for him. He stopped in front of the door. The window acting as an outline framing that of absolute beauty.
Her hair fell a little in her face. The wonderful purple sheet cascading over her pale skin. Her leg was crossed over her other under the desk she leaned over and her long black skirt fell like a curtain. Her booted foot was bouncing a little. She wore a tight top that stopped right before the elastic to her skirt. The sleeves were loose and fanned out towards the end.
She brought her hand up and brushed the falling hair behind her ear before glancing at the door. She blinked.
Tim opened it and walked in, closing the door behind him.
The scene was still as if the movie was paused. Two people just meeting each other for the first time. With that image he thought of the saying 'love at first sight'. It was then and it is now.
"Sorry I'm late." He said sheepishly.
Raven shrugged. She turned her attention back to her notebook. "I have it scheduled for December fourteenth from nine a.m. to eleven thirty. Victor has agreed to be Santa to keep our cost down. I have posted a few sign up sheets for staff and committee volunteers." She turned her attention to him. "You can sit you know." She finished at the end in one fluid paragraph.
Tim blinked a few times before walking towards her. He took a chair from the side and placed it in front of her desk where he straddled it backwards. They were face to face. Eyes locked.
She looked back to her notebook. He watched her as she talked. "I think I have most of the committee covered. Gar, Vic and Garth have agreed to help along with Jen, Kendra, Donna and Libby. But Libby has cheerleading so she might be absent a lot. Your girlfriend (Tim cringed) had expressed her interest in joining--" She looked to him for her next thought. "Quite enthusiastically I might add." Then she looked back to her paper. "But as I am sure you are aware, she leaves for Tamaran in only a week's time for Christmas holiday. Her involvement might be minimal. Now. We should talk decorations, costumes, food and anything else that should be discussed."
Again her attention was on him. He hadn't once taken his eyes off her. She raised her brow. "Any suggestions?"
"Sounds like you've thought of everything." He said.
"Jen warned me you might be… inattentive." She said offhandedly. "Besides, three weeks isn't nearly enough time."
Tim smiled and gave a small chuckle. He looked at her notebook.
"What?"
"Nothing. I was just thinking. You said the same thing last time we worked on planning something."
Raven nodded with a ghostly grin. "They don't give adequate time for planning and expect it to be perfect. What's our goal this year?"
"Last year was $1600. Year before that only $1200. So more than that I'm sure."
"What was it the year we planned it?" She asked taking a few random notes.
"$2350."
"Then this year we need to aim for… $2800. Sound good?"
Tim widened his eyes a little. "That's a bit steep. You think we can do it?"
Raven smiled lamely. "Of course. We've exceeded our impossible goals before. What's different now?"
Tim returned her smile. We're not together, he thought. That's what's different. Instead of saying that, he nodded. "What about expenses? We can't possibly reach that and pay out too."
"Star and Donna will be calling and/or visiting local businesses for donations. Card stock for tickets. Food. Supplies. Everything we're going to try and get donated. From there, Garth and Gar will be in the kitchen cooking along with a few more volunteers I hope. Jen, Kendra, Donna and Libby along with most of the cheerleading squad will be waitress-ing dressed as elves naturally. Gar will be making tickets on his computer and we have a deal with Print Itt. They'll print all of what we need, flyers, mailers, tickets, whatever for free if we put their name on it all, visibly. You and I will be making posters and banners."
Tim smirked. "And what will we be doing at the breakfast?"
"Supervising. Being bossy. I hear you're pretty good at that. And since you have given up on doing anything creative, I would have thought you'd have some good ideas."
He looked at her with the same admiring smile he always had when seeing her. He just felt content with her. Like he could end up having nothing in life worth anything as long as she was with him. "What are you making me wear?"
Raven grinned a little wider. "You get to be head elf."
"Where are we getting these costumes?" He said with narrowed eyes.
"The home economics club will be making them. You each have to get your measurements taken tomorrow. Fabric Plus is donating everything."
"We don't have to wear tights do we? Or more importantly, me?"
Raven looked at him from the corner of her eye as she looked at her notes. "That depends how much work I get outta you."
Tim grinned that cocky grin he always wore. He too looked at her notes. "So, if you get to pick what I wear, do I get to pick what you wear?"
"Nice try, Rob. But my costume's already picked out and done."
Tim furrowed his brow. "Oh? And what will you be?"
Without looking at him she answered. "Santa's daughter."
Tim laughed. Leave it to Raven to find the cutest way to be part of Christmas.
Raven looked to him with a half smile. "And to think, they all warned me you'd gotten ornery lately." She gave a slight laugh. "And I almost believed them."
Tim watched her in complete adulation.
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"Wait till you see what I'm wearing tomorrow." Jen purred into Vic's ear.
He looked at her through hooded eyes with a hungry glare and a mischievous smile.
She sat on his lap in the large and newly renovated cafeteria. She sat sideways on him and had her arms wrapped around his neck. Their foreheads touching as she stroked the back of his head with her fingertips.
"Can't wait." He cooed back.
"Alright. Tomorrow is what we've been working our butts off for." Raven said calling everyone into attention. The room fell silent.
Tim smiled to himself as he leaned back against the wall a few feet behind her, his arms crossed on his sculpted chest. There was that tone in her voice that demanded respect. And she always got what she demanded.
"We expecting a big turn out?" Lilith asked from the table to include Matthew, Terra and Tula.
"We sold over one hundred single tickets, at least seventy-five couple tickets and around two hundred family tickets. That already is just shy of 400." Raven said holding a notebook to her chest and addressing everyone.
The group looked to her in awe. No one could have pulled off what she and Tim had. It was that touch that the school had missed the last two years. To have her back their senior year was a miracle and a blessing. They needed to raise a ton of money for everything they wanted to do. Not to mention, having Raven back kept the school in awe. Now it was like a suspense book. They were waiting to see what panned out between her and Tim.
"Ok. Let's set everything up and then we can reform here and go over whatever you want. Got it?"
There were waves of nodding heads and yeses from around her. The room was packed with supplies. A good portion of the football team, at least a third of the varsity cheerleading team, her friends and Tim's as well as a few random volunteers all sat ready and willing to work. Most of them looking forward to it.
"Ok. The truck with the donated food and beverages will be here in forty-five minutes. Gar's in charge of that with the kitchen crew helping him. Jen's in charge of setting up tables along with the waitress staff. Roy and your group will set up the auction, games and posters. And we'll work out the rest from there. Most of you know your stations. Let's do it. Unless you all want to be here all night."
To make this perfect they all expected to be there most of the night anyways. Raven most likely would be regardless. But there weren't any complaints from anyone. Raven made things fun. And someone had let it slip that the Pizza place down the road was donating fifteen extra large pizzas along with drinks and other various snacks to the committee.
Right away Gar went to turn on the radio. He brought his six disc changer in and spread out some speakers. Tonight it would be used to bring some life to the set up. Tomorrow for Christmas songs.
The school they went to was pretty large. One of the largest in the state. It held over 2000 students. So needless to say the cafeteria was huge. Which was great.
She gave Tim a glance telling him to start walking around seeing if anyone needs help. Of course, he did what he was told. She started to make her first round.
There was a door at the far end of the cafeteria. Right outside it, there would be a snowman/snow sculpture contest. Wally, Mikron, Dawn and Baran were making the sample-- in the middle of a snowball fight of course. Raven smiled and let them have their fun. It would get done.
To the far side of the door was the group of John, Oliver, Bruce, Arella and Rose setting up Santa's chair. There was a large prop from the drama club of a cozy log cabin with large cotton blankets as snow all over it. Behind would be a filtered mist maker up a tube to make the chimney look to be smoking. Gar had thrown together a mirrored glass case with some candles, provided by Jen, to make the fire dance through the window. A small lantern would sit in the other window.
The large chair was designed with tons of cushions and other comforting fabrics. Vic would be sitting there a lot so it needed to be tolerable. The carpentry class built the chair and the home economics did the furnishings for the chair. There was a lot of red and green and white fabric mixed with some silver and blues. All in all it would look quite elegant.
Not too far away was a large tree. It would be decorated with tons of discontinued ornaments donated by the large department stores in the mall. Under would be small, age appropriate presents for the children. Diana and Jason would be in charge of that. They were setting it up now.
Against most of the walls were various games being set up. Snow ball toss, reindeer tick tack toe, penguin bowling and more. Her designated group was taking care of that.
The far end of the room, and the longest wall, was being set up with silent auction items. There were forty-three decent items. Along a short area next to it was a large 'candy cane store' for the kids. There were boxes upon boxes full of toys donated from various stores throughout the city that would be 'sold' to the kids for the candy canes they won at the games. The parents buy the tickets, the tickets are good for a game, after the game (win or lose) the kid receives a candy cane. The candy canes were good for toys and/or candy at the candy cane store. Certain toys cost different amounts of candy canes. Ralph and Linda would man the store. Others would operate the games and sell tickets.
That was Tim's idea. Raven praised him for it. He melted.
At the door they are given a handled paper shopping bag for their own use. The bags were all decorated by the committee two nights ago. Five hundred bags took the group of eighteen actual committee members five hours to decorate. They had the bleachers lined with drying bags. Welcoming committee would include Karen Starr, Richard and Miriam.
Posters were going up, tables being set, music being played, her friends dancing, singing and working. Raven stood in the middle of the room. She looked all around. She couldn't help but smile. Although she enjoyed England, she missed this more. This was her home. These, her friends. Her whole life, since back as far as she could remember this is what she enjoyed most.
"I know that look." A familiar voice came from behind.
She turned to see Tim standing there with a haughty smile. She tilted her head slightly and gave a ghostly grin. "What look would that be?" She asked coyly.
"Satisfied. Happy. Content. I've seen it many times."
"I am very pleased. Everything is coming together without a hitch, so far. And you. I've been told you hadn't been this… content… in quite a while. Miss the involvement did you?"
Tim gave her that cocky grin once more. "Among other things."
Raven turned when her name was called. She flashed him a tiny smirk and headed in Arella's direction. Tim watched her retreating form. She wore short gym shorts and a black muscle shirt. It all fit her form perfectly. Her short hair was pulled back in a pony tail. Although she still wore her combat boots. He wasn't sure she owned anything else.
Most of the students were dressed in similar attire. When working with Raven, they had all learned years before, everything must be perfect. So if it meant pulling an all-nighter that is exactly what they would do. Hence the fact that they all dressed comfortably.
Around ten the pizza's and snacks came. Just as most had suspected. So now they all sat on the floor (Jen forbade them to touch her tables) in intertwined circles eating, talking and laughing. Everyone's spirits were high. There were small groups not talking about the current project, but most were talking cheerfully about the expected success of the Breakfast.
Raven ate a piece of pizza and took a bottle of water before she made her way around the room. With everyone still and out of the way it was easier to see the progress and what still needed to be done. She made notes. Even with close to thirty students, there was a lot to do. With an expected turn out of at least four hundred they had to set up for a minimum of five hundred. Then they take into consideration the amount that may not show up and then the amount of walk-ins. They could very well be there all night.
Around mid night their costumes would arrive with the home economics volunteers. Most of them anyways. They would all have one last fitting to make sure it would be comfortable to walk around in all morning. If any alterations would be necessary, they would be made then.
She rejoined her friends and stood just off to the side, leaning against one of the counters to the kitchen.
"How much money have we raised so far?" Mikron asked, causing a slight hush to fall over the curious ears.
Raven flipped through a few pages before saying "You sure you want to know?" She asked eyeing the page, keeping a completely expressionless face, like normal.
There was a sudden hush as some started to dread her answer. Perhaps it wasn't as much as they had hoped.
Tim shook his head. "Don't tease them, Rae."
Raven eyed him before looking at the now downcast group. She gave a playful roll of her eyes and said, "Over twenty-five hundred dollars."
There were gasps and cheers around the room. Raven smiled.
Tim joined her watching it all.
"And you questioned whether or not we'd make it to $2800." She said with a gaze to him.
He chuckled. "I should have known better than to question your judgment."
"Does that give us a new goal?" Linda called over the chatter.
"Do you want a new goal?" Raven asked.
There was an uproar of 'yay's.
She looked back at her figures and did some quick calculations. "I say about $4000. Can we do that?"
Again there was an uproar.
"They seem pretty enthusiastic, don't they?" Raven asked peacefully to Tim.
"How could you expect otherwise? They got the best event planner back for our senior year. They love you, Raven."
Raven eyed the group before looking to him. "I didn't do it all myself. A good portion of those ideas were yours."
Tim nodded faintly. "Yes but without you here, I wouldn't have done this." His voice almost inaudible.
Raven looked at him with a lazy smile for a long time. "It's like a bittersweet reunion." She said in monotone before heading over to the group.
Tim watched her for a long time. Bittersweet. There was not a more perfect word to describe it.
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The cool December morning brought a clear sky and a bright sun. Perfect weather for snow sculptures. Perfect weather for sledding.
And though it was a Saturday, the Jump Ville Community High School was bustling with activity.
Most of the BWS committee stayed at the school over night. They were finally done, to Raven's standards, around four thirty. Even then Raven stayed up most of the morning doing obsessive detailing. Most would have to be back there in a few hours anyways for any last minute detail, preparation of food, costumes, etc.
With everything finally under control, Tim in his costume, much to his demise, and the line at the door already forming, at twenty minutes till nine, Raven decided it was time for herself to get changed.
She returned two minutes before the door opened. The eyes that spotted her grinned a knowing grin. As if nothing were happening, she walked past the gawking boys and smiling girls to address everyone one last time before this fundraiser started.
"Ok." Raven started to address the group. Everything hushed. All eyes were on her. All eyes.
Tim almost swallowed his tongue at the sight of her. She wore a small red dress that fell to her mid thighs. The end was lined with white fluffy lining with little specs of glitter. The low cut neck was the same. It was sleeveless with a jacket to go over it, which she was holding at the moment. Her hair was in a messy yet elegant bun with pearls scattered through her hair. Around her neck was a silver chain holding a glittery white snowflake. Her long slender legs went down into her normal black boots. The jacket, he noticed, would have the same white frill at the bottom and around the wrists, except that it wore a three quarters sleeve. There were mini bells for buttons but she would surly leave it undone.
The knowing grins were for a good reason. She had worn the same thing three years ago. Minor changes here and there of course. And the necklace she received as a gift that year. From Tim.
As if nothing was different and she wasn't in anything other than that of what she normally wears, she continued. "Everyone has their radios for the stations?"
Almost a dozen radios were held in the air. Hers and Tim's excluded. Hers was visible in her hand. He was still in a transfixed state.
"We have a new goal of $4000. I know we can make it. Remember. Christmas spirit is key here. Treat these people like they're gold. It's their money and we want it."
There were laughs around her. She gave a lackadaisical smile. "Seriously though. Have fun with it. Enjoy yourselves. And make everyone happy. If you need something, anything at all, call me or Tim. Ready to open the doors?"
There was one last uproar from the crowd gathered around her.
She grinned a bit more. "Then let's get this going."
Everyone was up and headed to their spots. Everyone but Tim. He seemed to be frozen. Raven rolled her eyes and headed to him. He didn't so much as try to conceal his gawking.
Raven placed a finger under his chin and gently closed his mouth. Her face blank. No hint of a smile. "It's a good thing Star's not here. This would be quite embarrassing for you." And she walked away while putting her jacket on, leaving a still gaping Tim in her wake.
Santa's daughter had some spunk.
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They all sat around on the counter to the kitchen. Some snacking on remaining breakfast foods, other just chatting excitedly. It was now 12:45. They were anxiously awaiting Raven to add up the totals and tell them how much money they had raised before clean up started.
Raven walked to them, jacket discarded somewhere with her notebook in hand and Jen at her side as they carried on a seemingly serious conversation.
All twenty-eight of them fell silent. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. She faced them as Jen skipped to Vic and jumped on the counter next to him with a grin.
"Not bad, guys. There were a few things we could have done better. I'd say now we know for next year, but there is no next year. So… screw it. (there were giggles among them) I want to comend all of you on your behavior. Not once did I get a complaint. I did however get numerous compliments on the set up. One saying 'it looks phenomenal'." Raven looked to all the impatient faces and waited before she announced their total. That's what they all really wanted to hear. "I guess, besides clean up, the only thing left to do is tell you how we did." She began to talk in her monotone. Not everyone had learned she did that when she felt the need to throw someone off. Faces fell. Without so much as a smirk she told them. "As of right now, without including the donation jar, we made… five thousand two hundred seventy-three dollars and eleven cents."
Everyone jumped up and cheered. They had made more than the previous three years combined. Now Raven let herself smile. "Ok. We'll celebrate after. Let's get this place clean. We're not in a real big hurry. We have all day, really. But let's not make it an all day ordeal. I don't know about you, but celebrating sounds good to me."
There were more cheers as they started to get up and headed back out to clean. Raven stood there consulting her notes.
The group on the counter consisted mostly of the boys deciding what to do after for some kind of party. They simply had to celebrate.
Vic, Gar and Roy started their own private conversation amongst them. And with a snicker, Gar called to Tim.
Tim looked to him.
Gar nodded his head in Raven's direction. Tim looked. The sight hadn't changed since last he looked. Still astonishing. "So?"
"Dude, look above her."
Tim looked up. She stood just under the only mistletoe in the entire cafeteria.
"So…" Roy nudged. "You going to kiss her or what?"
Tim watched Raven. She wasn't moving. Yet he was pretty sure she was unaware. "No. That's just some stupid superstition. And since I need to remind you almost twice a day, I have a girlfriend."
Gar jumped down from the counter. "Fine. But if you're not I will." He made to walk towards her.
Tim felt some undying jealousy and pulled him back shoving him into the others before making his own way towards her. His stomach churned again. His palms got sweaty. His body became tense. Her figure stood in some kind of haze like that of an angel. At once he noticed most of the students had hushed. In a nervous habit he bit his lip as Raven looked up to him with a wry smile. "Hey." She said.
Tim kept moving in. He knew if he stopped, he'd lose his nerve. In a swift motion, he had cupped the back of her head and placed his other hand on her notebook in a habitual attempt to remove it form her hands.
Before Raven could say anymore, his lips met hers. Her eyes closed on their own accord and she let go of her notebook. It fell to the ground.
The kiss broke briefly before he went in for another. It was too good to stop short at one. Tim kissed her again.
The sound finally graced their ears of those 'awe'ing around them. He pulled away slowly and looked into her eyes with a soothing smile. She stood dumbfounded.
Tim walked past her to a group doing table clean up duty, throwing a stack of cloth napkins in a basket.
Raven stood still in a hypnotic state. Something strange was rippling through her. The feeling was almost familiar but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Then she blinked bringing her back to reality. Her head shot up. Mistletoe. Then she bent to pick up her notebook and began a routine walk through. Just as if nothing happened.
Tim walked around trying to stifle a smile for the next two weeks. Raven's eyes were glossed over periodically. Santa's daughter would not go unremembered.
Ok all. Due to some stupid rules this site is now enforcing, I am not allowed to respond to reviews at the end of my chapters anymore. No worries though. I will now be addressing those who need attention in my profile just as I do with one shots.
Also, I have posted this in my profile but feel obliged to write it here as well. Possibly some time this fall, most if not all my stories on will be discontinued and possibly removed. The location has not been decided upon yet. I do have a few sites I am trying periodically. being one of them along with My name, as always, will be something along the lines of Little Creature, Little Crea and so on. This possible move is in response to those stupid rules I have previously mentioned. The site is disallowing song fics as well as not being able to respond to reviews at the end of chapters. It's getting ridiculous. Therefore I will do what is in my power against it. I have signed petitions and I will be, if these rules have not been revised, relocating my stories.
Anyways. Sorry for the laps in time between writing. I am having something such as writers block in the sense that I seem to be stuck on this and Promised. I know exactly what I want to write… I just don't seem to find the… enthusiasm I suppose to do so. They say you are your worst critic. I just wrote five pages of this chapter the other day and decided I didn't like it. So I started over.
-LC
muah