A/N: Sorry this took me so long to post. I got back from two weeks of vacation, and guess what I have: a few pictures, a bad case of motion sickness, 4 one-shots, and no ideas for an eighth chapter of this story. It's frustrating!
Disclaimer: Uhhhhh, I don't freaking own Teen Titans so why do I have to keep typing this!
Chapter Eight: More Humiliation
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The summer was slipping away like sand in an hour glass. School was only a couple of weeks away, unfortunately for Gar. He probably wouldn't have much time to work at the hospital- Gar never thought that would be a bad thing.
With a sigh, Gar sat up in bed. The calendar next on his wall haunted him, showing just how little time was left before the much dreaded first day of school. Only 15 days. Half a month. One day over two weeks. No matter how it was phrased, that awful day was much too close for Gar's liking. Finally, he got out of bed and got ready for another long day at work.
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Time didn't really seem to matter here. Sure, there were clocks on the walls and the news always told the date, but it had no meaning to her. It had never really mattered to Raven because she never really had anything to look forward to, except the day when she was old enough to run away from home.
She wasn't sure how long she would be in this hospital for. It could be until someone came to get or until her eighteenth birthday, which was much more likely. Eight more months here might be more bearable than at her home.
Tapping her foot mindlessly on her mattress, Raven stared at the wall a few feet away from the end of her bed. It wasn't particularly interesting, the regulation eggshell white paint was boring just like it was meant to be. There were no marks anywhere to be seen, it was just plain white. Yet, Raven was intently staring at the wall as if it would suddenly begin to move. Although, it remained stationary.
A sudden noise to her left made her jump and pulled her out of her former thoughts. "Hello, beautiful. Miss me?"
Raven rolled her eyes and glared at him, but his grin was unfaltering. "Truthfully? I hadn't even noticed you had left."
"Sure, what ever you say." That grin of his was sickening.
"You're so arrogant," she smiled faintly. The empty spot at the end of the bed was quickly taken by Gar.
"So... anything new?"
"I found a tiny chip on that wall right there," Raven explained while pointing at the spot.
"Is it really that boring in here?" he asked sympathetically.
"You have no idea."
They sat in silence for a few minutes. Each caught up in their own thoughts. Raven leaned her head back on the wall behind her and closed her eyes. While, Gar sat at the end of the bed leaning against the wall adjacent from the one Raven was leaning on.
Glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, Gar noticed her eyes were closed. After turning his head toward her, he inspected her face further. Then, his eyes began to wander to other parts of her body. Suddenly, her eyelids flipped open again. Gar tried to look away as fast as he could, but it was painfully obvious, and the bright blush on his face didn't help. Raven smiled knowingly to herself, but didn't say anything.
Trying to hide his embarrassment, Gar cleared his throat. "So, um..." His brain was scrambling to find something to talk about, but he kept coming up blank.
"Yes?" It was hilarious how red Gar's face was turning, she couldn't help but smile.
"Uh... I think you're really pretty," he blurted out without thinking. Immediately after he said this, he inwardly groaned. 'Smooth, Logan,' Gar thought sarcastically. Why was he always such an impulsive idiot? All he had managed to do was make his situation more awkward.
The smile she had more a moment ago quickly disappeared as her cheeks became just as red as his. Swallowing hard, Raven was completely caught of guard. She stared down at her hands in her lap. After clearing her throat, she replied in a meek voice, "Th-thanks."
At least now he wasn't the only one embarrassed now. He grinned a little at how uncomfortable she seemed, although he felt the same way. Without warning, Gar began to laugh. Looking up with a confused expression, Raven had no idea what was so funny.
Raven rolled her eyes, but then smiled and kicked his leg playfully. "Moron." Quickly, his laughter died down. Looking over at her with his goofy smile, their eyes met. Their eyes stayed looked as his smile turned into a small grin. Something seemed to pull them closer to each other as they leaned in.
When their faces were only about four inches apart, Gar broke eye contact and turned his head away. For a moment, Raven looked disappointed, but it was quickly replaced by a blank and emotionless expression.
Disappointment was evident on Gar's face too, but it was directed at himself. She was right, he was a moron. Why had he turned away? What was he afraid of? Was he afraid of being rejected? Or was he worried that she would betray him, just like the last girl he had gotten close to?
Standing with a sigh, Gar hung his head a little. "I need to go give out the medication." It was a lame excuse, medication wasn't supposed to be given for another two hour, but it was the best he could think of. He walked out of the room, and Raven said nothing to stop him. They both needed some time to think.
Once her door was shut, Gar leaned against the wall beside it and put his face in his hands. "Uh, what's wrong with me?"
Vic just happened to be in the hall when Gar walked out. "Hey, dude. What's the matter? You look horrible."
"Eh, it's nothing," he lied.
"Alright, whatever you say." Victor knew better than that, but it was obvious Gar didn't want to talk about it. "You wanna play some Game Station?"
"Sure." He wore a forced smile as he walked down the hall with his friend.
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It had been awhile since Raven had felt this confused. Gar was cute, and he could be funny, although she wouldn't admit that to him. Also, he was understanding, kind, and always sincere. She really liked him, and she knew he liked her, but sometimes it was really hard to tell.
Who was she kidding? This could never work out. She was a patient in a mental institution and he was just a regular teenager. One day he would quit his job and move get another somewhere far away. Then, she would be left to rot in this hospital the rest of her life. If she wasn't insane already a few years in here would definitely make her.
Leaning back against the wall with a sigh, Raven covered her face with her hands. She hated not knowing.
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"That's the ninth game you lost. I'm used to beating you, but it doesn't even seem like you were trying. Even Richard beat you. And you didn't complain once that I was cheating. I'm worried about you, man. What's up with you?"
"I just have a lot on my mind. It's no big deal." Vic looked at him suspiciously. "Really."
"Well, if you need to talk or something."
"You sound like a girl," Gar teased.
"Yeah, I guess I do," Victor chuckled. "But seriously."
"I know..."
"Cool. Now, let's get back to playing."
"You better be ready to lose." Both of them smiled and then resumed playing.
The rest of his shift was spent in the office chatting with Victor. Finally, when it was time to leave he hesitated before exiting. After a quick glance down the hall, he walked outside. He felt like an idiot and a coward, but he would just have to wait for tomorrow to talk to her. Turning his key in the ignition, Gar sped off towards his home.
He stared at the ceiling above his bed for a moment reassuring himself that tomorrow everything would work out. Then, he fell asleep.
The next morning he woke up earlier than usual, but he was wide-awake, so he decided to go get some breakfast. At the dinner table his father sat drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. Garfield joined him after getting a bowl of cereal.
"Good morning." Mark had always been a morning person, but Gar was the exact opposite.
"Morning. Where's mom?"
"She had to go to work early this morning... Hey, did you here this? Yesterday, some assassin escaped from jail. They say to be extra careful and to avoid going outside at night."
"Hm..."
"I guess that really says something about the law enforcement around here. Not only did they let him escape, but they can't even find him... Oh, one of the kids from the hospital is supposed to get picked up today."
"Yeah? Who?" Gar didn't really care much, but it wasn't often that one of the kids would leave.
"It's that quiet girl with the purple hair. Oh what's her name again?" he snapped his fingers as if that would help him remember. "Raven, I think it was."
"What? By who?" Gar definitely hadn't been expecting that.
"Her father is supposed to come today... Luckily, Crystal can handle all of the paperwork to get her out, so I get the day off today."
"Raven didn't tell me that," he said more to himself than his father.
"How could she have? He called last night and asked me not to tell her. Said he wanted to surprise her."
"When's he picking her up?" His voice sounded panicked, but that was just how he felt.
Checking his watch, Mark thought for a moment. "Probably in about 30 minutes. Why?"
Without another word Gar rushed out of the room, leaving his father with questions unanswered. "Hm, I wonder what that was all about. He didn't even finish his breakfast. Teens. I may have been one, but I don't think I'll ever understand them," Mark shook his head and returned to reading the newspaper in his hands.
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A/N: Sorry it took me so long, and that it's kinda short. I hope you can forgive me. Next chapter won't take me nearly as long. Please tell me what you think of this chapter, especially if you thought it sucked. School starts Wednesday, but I'll do my best to keep updating. DAMN YOU SCHOOL DEMON! Well, please review if you have time to. Later!
Luna Forest: Thanks! Yeah, she can be wise if she wants to. :)
addicted2danny: Don't worry, you will get your scene. I'm glad you like the fluff so far. lol, nice save. ;)
Django X: I don't lie, well except to my parents, but that's not the point. Thanks! I hate when people make Starfire an idiot, when in fact she is supposed to be much smarter than an average human. I'm glad you liked it!
Rainbow-Jess: Yay! I'm going for a record. Richard is a lot of fun to write for in this story. :)
ravenmasteroftele: Aw, thanks, but your way cooler than me. Nah, I'm just a humble band geek, but I like it that way. Anyway popular kids are all idiots, anime kids may be a little insane, but their way more fun to be around. lol. You're too kind! Hopefully, you won't have to wait to long. :D
AureliusXsoul: Thank you. I'm really glad you thought that Kori was in character, I had a lot of trouble writing for her. You're too kind. :)
Ruby Mistress: Haha, thanks! I'm glad you liked that:)
Maci May: Yeah, lol. Thanks! Don't question the ignorance of Gar, haha. Nah, Gar may act stupid, but he isn't completely oblivious. So it shouldn't be much longer if not in this very chapter. :D
Lilliesofthevalley: Yeah, I like that couple, they're cute together. Thanks, lol. I'm really really glad you liked that.
Kaos Kraze: Thank you! Yeah, I'm probably the one who needs a brake from them, lol. :)
ELLIEdangerous: Yeah, it took a while longer than I had planned to have it. I'm glad you liked it. Haha. :D
sribble-scrabble: Thanks! I hope this was quick enough for you. :)
Mrs. Peacock: Thank you! You're too kind. :)
.Just A Kiss On The Lips.: Aw, you're too kind. Thanks!
KirbyandJordan: Yay! I'm so proud! Thanks! I'm glad you like it. Yeah, haha, it is sad.
Overactive Mind: Thank you! Haha, excellent quote. I think Starfire would be much wiser than Cyborg on the subject, anyway she's a girl, so BB has to listen to her. :D
BallBuster706: Thanks! I'm really glad you like it. Yeah, they really do look cute together. :)
LordShe185: Thank you! I'm honored. Sorry about the mistakes, I know it can be really annoying when there are a bunch. I'm too lazy to proofread. I'll try to catch my errors next time. :D
moo-like-a-floofy-llama: Haha, my life is a streak of laziness. Thanks! I'm glad you like it. Put the utensil down, let's not do anything hasty now. That plastic is sharper than you think, and we don't want you to slip and do something you might regret. :)
crazy fanfic lover: Thanks! I'm glad you like it. I really wanted to put some bonding time with Kori and Gar in there, so I did. :D
Shay Bo Bay: Starfire and Robin are always so cute together, so I just couldn't resist. Haha, another hallmark moment provided by TrueTitan. You might see the dream later, but first I need to figure out what exactly it is. Unfortunately, I do everything very spontaneously and without thinking how it should affect the rest of the story, which ends up making me do twice the thinking later. But I will probably continue doing that anyway, lol. Oh well. :D
K.C. Raven: Thank you. I'm glad you like it so far. :)
KitannaRed: Thanks! I'm really happy that you liked it. :)
ChocolateSoGood: Short and sweet. Thanks, you're too kind. :D
titanfan112112321: Uh, thanks! I'm honored. Haha, you're too kind. I don't think I could ever really be considered a genius, but thanks. :D
