Chapter Five: Name that tune

Raven glanced down at her schedule while she headed down the hall. Her first class was Math, with Miss Kyper (K-eye-per) in room 215.

211 … 213 … 215!

She reached the class and walked inside not knowing what to expect.

She had entered a roomy classroom with the desks arranged in rows. Miss Kyper's desk had been placed in front of the only window in the room, to the left of the whiteboard.

Raven plopped herself down in a desk, roughly in the middle of the class. She was among the first few there so she rummaged around her bag until she found her reading book and slipped into the plotline.

With her immersed in her book she didn't notice the rest of the class fill up until Miss Kyper entered and closed the door with a snap.

"Hello class. I'm Miss Kyper. I see we have some new faces and some old ones Jill-do-not-pass-notes!" she snarled as she walked around the class, stopping in front of a girl with bleached blonde hair.

'Jill' jumped when she realized Miss Kyper had seen and ended up dropping the not right at Miss Kyper's feet.

"A little story for the class?" she picked up the note at her feet and carefully unfolded it.

Hey Amy

New year! You exited? I see that your parents stuck you here again huh? My dad says it's for my 'education' but I know he just wants to spend more time with his girlfriend. It doesn't matter though, this place seems more like home to me than home actually does. I hear they're holding a Halloween dance this yea., I can't wait. What are you going to dress up as? …

Miss Kyper went of for a while before finally stopping, with a 'love Jill'.

"So who's Mark?" The class sniggered. Jill had talked about a boy called Mark in her note mentioning how cute she thought he was.

Miss Kyper walked up to the front of the class, dropped the note in the recycling, and wrote her name on the whiteboard.

"Now that we've started the class off with a bit of excitement, lets have some fun. Since you all know my name, it's only fair that you tell me yours. Now we'll start with the front row working our way back. It will go right to left and when it's your turn you shall stand up, tell me your name, and then tell me your favourite book or movie."As she spoke her eyes traveled across all of the students. When she was done she pointed to a boy at the front of the class to start.

Raven thought it a little odd, telling your Math teacher your favourite movie or book, but she was supposed to be acting like a normal student so she had to listen. She had finally decided what book was her favourite when she realized it was her turn next.

After Sarah had finished telling everyone how much she loved Legally Blonde, Raven stood up slowly. It was nerve wracking, having sixty eyes on her all at once, but she managed to spit out her name and the book she had in mind, without embarrassing herself.

"My name is Rachel Roth, and my favourite book would be … Gathering Blue."

"Now Rachel, you are the first person to say a book instead of a movie, why is that?" Miss Kyper asked. She hadn't been expecting this.

"Well … for one, you can take a book almost anywhere, but unless you have a portable DVD player you can't saw the same for movies. And what if you didn't like the Actor or how he played out a scene. With a book you can imagine it however you want it to be, instead of someone showing you how they imagined it." Raven replied coolly.

Miss Kyper had listened intently, a smile spread across her features.

"I like how you think Rachel," she said clasping her hands behind her back," On to the next person.

As Raven sat down she couldn't help but feel proud to have earned a teachers praise on her first day. She felt slightly more comfortable for the rest of class, and couldn't help but notice that every so often Miss Kyper's eyes would flick over to Raven's direction.

After many group games and memorizing names, it was time for Raven to head to Science. She slid out of her desk and was halfway to the door when Miss Kyper called her to the front.

"Rachel come here please." She was flipping through a small book.

"Yes," Raven asked nervously.

"Louis Lowry wrote Gathering Blue. She also wrote this," she held up the book with an aging man on the cover," The Giver. I think you'd like it." She extended her arm out, offering Raven the book. " I want you to borrow it."

Raven took the book in her hands and examined it better.

" ….. Thanks."

She stowed the book in her bag on her way to Science. It wasn't that far to Mr. Whyte's class. Math had been room 215, Science was 211.

She bumped into Beast Boy on her way into class.

"Hey Rae."

"Don't call me Rae, Gar."

"Well since your name and your alias both start with Rae, it's easier just to call you Rae. Your just lucky I don't spill your real name," he whispered.

She glared and walked in the class, Beast Boy tagging behind.

The Science class was slightly bigger than the Math room. Instead of individual desks there were longer, higher tables made for two, with stools to sit on. She weaved in-between the tables and found an un-occupied one near the front.

"Rae, can I sit with you?" Beast Boy asked pleadingly.

"Maybe, if you stop calling me Rae."

"Rachel, can I please sit with you." If he could have taken off the ring and transformed into a kitten, he could have used the face. Darn.

"Fine."

He smiled and hopped into the other seat beside her. She scooted a little further away.

"Why are you moving away?"

"Well the last time you had your science text book, it involved some rather unpleasant results," she replied coldly.

"Oh you mean when you were looking for a teabag, and I hid behind the counter and then I just out and …" he trailed off looking rather smug.

"Yes that time," she said sourly.

"Okay, I'll make you a deal. I won't hit you there again … " he trailed off again holding out his hand.

"Fine," she grasped his hand and shook it.

" … with my Science text!"

"What!"

"I can still get ya! Just not with my science book!"

If looks could kill.

Starfire munched on cooked vegetables drenched in mustard. She had been listening closely to the others telling about their day over dinner.

So far Robin and Cyborg had went with Beast Boy to auto mechanics, then they went with her to French and lastly headed off to metal works after lunch.

Beast Boy had science with Raven after auto mechanics and met up again with Cyborg and Robin for metal works.

Starfire had already told everyone of her day (sewing in home economics before French and cooking in home economics after lunch) so now she was currently listening to Raven tell of her day.

"First I had Math in which a girl names Jill was found passing notes, so the teacher had read the note to the class. Then we had to tell the class our name and favourite movie or book. I was the only one to pick a book over a movie and Miss Kyper ended up letting me borrow a book that had the same author of my favourite book. Then I met up with this-" she tilted her head towards Beast Boy-" in science and listened to Mr. Whyte tell us what we would be studying through the year. After lunch I left for the band room and ended up landing myself with a flute." Raven nibbled at the end of a green bean.

"Is Bea- I mean Garfield no longer a person? Is he an object now?" Starfire was puzzled.

Robin chuckled.

"S-… Kori, Rachel is insulting B-Gar. She's saying that he's less than human."

"But you can clearly see that he is human, does she not realize that?"

"Looks can be deceiving. You look human but your actually Tamaranian." Robin answered quietly.

The two continued their conversation while Beast Boy, Cyborg and Raven held one of their own.

"You play the flute?" Beast Boy asked waving a fork full of salad in front of her.

"No. I've never laid my hands on a flute before but … I seem to know how to play. It just came to me."

"Did someone lay the flute to you as a child? Maybe that's why." Cyborg suggested.

She shrugged. She hadn't told her friends everything. The truth was there was a distinct tune playing in the back of her head. A tune form a long time ago.