Thanks to all my lovely reviewers. Just as a warning this is a rather melodramatic chapter but then again they're teenagers and teenagers are rather overly dramatic so that's my lame explanation/ excuse.

Disclaimer: T-E-E-N, I-do-not-own-this-show, TEEN TITANS, LET'S GO!

Richard went home feeling ashamed of his behavior. Victor's words still echoed through even the farthest corners of his mind. '…I think the girl's got a point, maybe you do need to get your head out of your ass...'

"Is something wrong, Master Grayson?" Alfred, the elderly butler asked.

"No, I'm fine."

"Bad day at school?"

Richard sighed. "I guess you could say that."

"Girl problems?"

"How'd you know?"

"I am wiser to the way of teenagers then I look, Master Grayson. You forget that I also watched over Master Wayne when he was your age. You pick such things up over time." Alfred said knowingly. "Now what seems to be the problem with this young lady?"

"Well I don't really know. There's something about her. She annoys the hell out of me, but in a good way. I can't seem to think around her, like my head's full of cotton of something. I hate how she manages to drive me crazy. And she hates my guts because everytime I talk to her I end up fighting with her and making a complete jerk out of myself."

"Well it seems we do have quite the dilemma here, Master Grayson. First, you might want to try an apology. Then, you might want to work on learning to think before you speak."

"Thanks, Alfred." Richard said.

"Anytime, Master Grayson.

Riley stopped at her locker to get her stuff after school in a bad mood. Garth was there waiting for her.

"What's wrong?" he asked after taking one look at her.

"It's only my first day here and already it seems I have an enemy!" Riley fumed throwing her books pell-mell into her locker but not caring. "I mean what is his problem? What did I ever do to him?"

"You didn't do anything to him. Whatever his problem is, that's his problem. You've only been here a day. What could you have possibly done to him?" Garth said obviously trying to get her in better spirits. "You know what? Why don't you come and hang out with us in the park? Get your mind off of things." He said giving her an encouraging smile.

Riley thought about it. "You know what I think I will."

When they arrived the others were already gathered around two picnic benches. They all worked well together even though they were doing separate things. Each person helped to create the delicate atmosphere, a balance on which they all weighed. Raven sat on a bench reading of trying to, Gar was bugging her with his jokes, and Kori and Karen were talking. Kori sitting on top of the table, a book open in her lap, and Karen talking to her as she danced circles around them all.

"Hey Garth, do you understand the History homework? I don't get what he wants us to do." Kori asked as they walked towards the bunch.

"Sure. What do you need help with?" Garth said as he walked over to her.

Riley, not wanting to get caught in a boring History discussion, walked towards where Garfield and Rachel were sitting. Rachel had her hood pulled up hiding all but her lower face and seemed to be showing no sign of recognizing Garfield or Riley were there.

"C'mon Rae, don't you ever get sick of reading? Don't you want to hear at least one of my jokes?"

"Garfield, I've heard them all so many times they echo in my nightmares." Rachel replied flatly.

"I knew it! So you do dream about me." Garfield replied cheekily.

Riley pulled out the notebook she had thought to bring home with her and started to doodle. Five seconds later she had a rough draft of the two of them sitting like they were, in a stick figure cartoon, entitled "Young Love- Opposites Attract." She surrounded it in little hearts and stowed it away for later.

"Hey guys." They looked up to see a light brownish-red haired youth walking towards them.

"Hey Wally," Karen replied, waving. "Have you met Riley?"

"Nice to meet you, Riley. I was looking around for you. Roy said you might be able to help with a…er problem I have."

Karen looked at him curiously. "What kind of 'problem' are we talking about?"

"Um, it's about this one girl in your dance class, Jen. She has pink hair."

"Yeah, what about her?"

"I was wondering if you could tell me some stuff about her." Wally asked, clearly nervous and embarrassed about asking this.

"Sure."

Richard arrived at school early the next day, determined to talk to Riley before English that day. He had taken Alfred's advice and was going to apologize to her. Finally, he saw her approaching the gates.

"Hey Riley, could I talk to you for a minute?"

She looked at him and then walked right past without giving any sign of acknowledging his presence.

"Please, it's important."

She slowed down slightly. He took that as a positive sign to continue.

"It's about yesterday. I wanted to apologize for my behavior. I overreacted big time and I'm sorry."

She stopped. "Why are you doing this?"

He hadn't been expecting that one. "What?"

"Why are you doing this?" She repeated.

"I feel bad about how I behaved yesterday. Look I'm not asking you to forgive me and I'm not asking to be your best friend now. I'm telling you, I'm sorry."

Riley turned around to look at him but he had already gone.

Riley walked into homeroom confused. Why was Richard apologizing to her? What possible motive could he have? She was puzzled as her mind swirled with thoughts. Could he really be sorry?... RING! The bell was like a missing piece of track in her train of thought and she was glad for a reason to stop thinking.

"Hey Rye." Garth said as she walked in and sat down at the big table beside him.

"What? Oh, hi." She said distractedly.

"Something up?" He asked concerned.

"The ceiling's up…unless you do this." She turned her head upside down.

Garth rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."

"No seriously! Tilt your head to the right and look at the ceiling."

He just stared at her.

"Nothing's wrong!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He left it at that but still looked at her skeptically.

Richard walked to English in a slightly apprehensive state. As he walked through the door he allowed himself a glance at the back of the room. He sat down and pulled out his book, Romeo and Juliet.

"Okay class, settle down, settle down. If you would pass your homework forward and pull your books out and turn to page twenty-nine, Act II, Sc. II and begin to read."

Richard opened his book.

'…Jul. 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy.

Thou art myself, thou not a Montague.

What's Montague? It is not hand, nor foot,

Nor arm, nor face, not any other part

Belonging to a man. O' be some other name!

What is a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet…'

THUD! Richard was brought roughly back to into consciousness by the sound of someone's books falling off their desk. He had been pleasantly daydreaming, staring at the same page for twenty minutes until someone just had to choose then to upset what sounded like the entire contents of their desk. If it had waited just one more minute…

Riley and Richard had no more contact for the rest of the day, but rather plainly avoided each other. When Richard went to his locker at the end of the day he found a note lying in the bottom. It held two scribbled words.

I'm sorry.

Oooo, who sent the note/mysterious voice Okay screw it. It is rather obvious so I'm not gonna bother. walks away