Thanks for the reveiws, folks. Well, here's your next chapter. Sorry if it's a little iffy, but I'm sick, so blah. Anyway, enjoy!
Raven groaned, slumping against the wall and clapping a hand to her forehead. As her class began to move, she took first spot in line and walked so swiftly that Mr. Wayne had to jog to keep up. Richard ran up to her. "Raven!" he said, grabbing her arm. She stopped abruptly, causing several people to bump into them, and narrowed her eyes into slits. "If you don't leave me alone, I'm going to report you for harassing me." With that, she turned on her heel and stormed after the class.
When the class was lined respectably up against the wall, Mr. Wayne read out the seating arrangement. Raven took her seat, and instantly regretted not committing suicide when she had the chance – Richard sat beside her. "What have I done to deserve this?" she muttered. On her other side was Garfield Logan, who had blonde hair and blue eyes, and a poor sense of humor as far as she was concerned.
As Mr. Wayne read out the rest of the seating arrangement, Richard tapped her shoulder. She rounded on him, glaring. "What the hell do you want?" she snarled. "Look, Raven…" He began, looking uncertain. "Spit it out!" Richard sighed. "All those years that I mocked and taunted you – I didn't mean it. The…The honest truth is…I've had a crush on you all this time. I just didn't want Victor or Gar knowing. I guess I was worried that they'd mock me, like all elementary and middle school guys will do."
Raven stared. Well, this news was shocking. Regaining her frosty disposition, she folded her arms across her chest and furrowed her brows. "Why the change of heart, then? Why did you all of a sudden decide to tell me? They dare you?" she said coldly. "No, actually…" Richard began. "Over the summer, my parents…Well…Died. They were murdered, actually. During their circus performance, someone cut the trapeze ropes. They fell, and…Well, it made me realize how short life could be…And I wanted you to know how I actually felt."
Again it seemed as if Raven had fallen apart at the seams. She searched around, but no sarcastically cold remark could counter his confessions. She stuttered a moment, but her voice wouldn't come out. Had she, all this time, really loved him? Had it been the cause of her racing pulse and the pounding of her brain whenever she spoke to him? Just as she found a few words, Mr. Wayne cleared his throat, and she turned her attention to the front.
"Welcome, adolescents, to High School. I, as you should know by now, am Mr. Wayne." He turned and wrote his name on the chalkboard, the screeching of cheap school chalk making Raven grind her teeth together irritably. A few feet away, Kori Anders' hair appeared to very nearly stand on end. Tara Markov was chatting animatedly to Garfield – until Mr. Wayne slapped his pointer on her desk.
After his speech ended, chemistry began. Half an hour into the class, there was a small explosion and a yell from Garfield. He emerged from a green cloud of smoke with green hair, skin and eyes. Mr. Wayne rushed him to the nurse's office, and once he was out of earshot, the class burst out laughing. Even Raven laughed, but it was a coldly mocking one.
Once the bell rang (Mr. Wayne had not yet returned with Garfield) there was a flurry of motion as they gathered their books and headed off to their lockers, which had a strip of tape with their names on each. To Richard's (And Raven's, though she refused to admit it, even to herself) delight, the two had a locker beside each other. Awkwardly, Raven dumped her books into her locker and walked off to the cafeteria, keeping near to Richard – she had a feeling his confession wasn't the only one to be made today.
Raven didn't join the line up to get her food, but instead sat at one of the tables by herself. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples with her fingers, sighing. From a distance, she heard Richard's voice. "No, Vic, I think I'm gonna sit with someone else today…"
Seconds later, Raven heard a lunch tray clatter onto the table and felt a certain someone's presence nearby. She opened her eyes, and there sat Richard. "Want some company?" he asked, smiling softly. She shifted slightly, awkwardly, and then nodded. After momentary silence that felt like decades, they spoke at the same time.
"Raven—"
"Richard—"
They both smiled, Raven's only a shadow on her lips. Richard looked at her for a long moment, and then nodded, indicating that she could go first.
"Uh, Richard?" she began. He nodded, gazing at her intently. "Well…I've been thinking, and…All along…I've liked you too." Richard smiled. "Well then…" he put his hand on hers. "Coffee Shop, 8 o'clock tonight?"
"Yeah," the violet haired Goth answered, "I think I could squeeze that into my schedule."