Hey guys, I really didn't like last chapter that much, but I think this one is really cute! Also, I know I've been calling Richard by his full name but I feel like it's so formal so don't mind me when I call him Dick instead…I'm still talking about the same person.
RAEXBB4EVER: Of course I liked the idea, don't be afraid to suggest things because you probably have a ton of other great ideas! And thanks! :)
Also thanks to the anon guest about wishing me good luck on my essay, I needed all the luck in the world to finish it so thank you! :D
Okay so I updated a little early because it's my birthday today and I know that I'm going to be busy this weekend so I probably won't be able to write it then.
Also don't kill me with all the clichés in here, being a lover of romantic comedies, I absolutely adore clichés. So I apologize in advance.
So read, review, and enjoy! :)
Around eight in the morning, Raven woke up feeling a sense of warmth and security all throughout her body. She pondered why she felt so unusually comfortable for a moment, but quickly realized that she was laying in the arms of none other than Garfield Logan. She attempted getting up and breaking free of Gar's strong hold, but this only cause him to pull her closer to him and hold on tighter.
"I'm never letting you go. Not again." He mumbled these words subconsciously, causing Raven to stop squirming under his grasp. Raven sighed, feeling rather hopeless and having no clue as to what she should do. Should she wake Gar up and get him to release her? Or should she maybe just attempt to separate herself without waking him up?
While searching for a solution to her predicament, she didn't notice Gar stir awake. "Mornin' beautiful."
Raven's eyes shifted from Gar's chest to his dazzling emerald eyes. She wanted so badly to close her eyes and snuggle against his chest when he kissed her on the cheek and flashed her a warm and loving smile. But she didn't. "Drop the act, nobody's around. Now would you mind letting me go?"
Gar of course had to hug her closer to his body, letting out a satisfied sigh before closing his eyes. "As a matter of fact I do mind. I'm comfy Rae, just stay here with me for two more seconds."
"One. Two." Raven glared at Gar, waiting for him to release her from his death-grip on her.
Reluctantly, Gar complied with Raven's request. Both of them stood up and headed to their room. As usual, Amy came upstairs at about nine with the breakfast and then told them to get ready for shopping in the town. When she left, Raven released a groan.
"What's wrong with you, Little Miss Sunshine?" Gar asked as he yanked a fresh T-shirt over his head.
Raven slipped on a beige cardigan, feeling a bit exposed in just her white camisole and jean shorts. "I do not want to go shopping. I didn't bring a bathing suit for the beach tomorrow, so Kori and Karen are going to force me to try on every single bathing suit they can find. Just shoot me now."
"No they won't! I'll be the one with you the whole day, so I'm the one who's gonna be picking out which bathing suits you try on." Gar's grin stretched from ear to ear, causing Raven to shake her head in disagreement.
"Absolutely not." She walked over to her purse and retrieved her wallet. "I will not go shopping with you, especially not for a bathing suit."
"Well you have to! It's like a couples bonding thing, and we're supposed to be a couple! Don't you think Dick and Kori want to spend some alone time before their wedding? And Karen and Victor deserve some alone time too. Face it Rae, if we hung around them, we would just be taking away from their alone time together." Gar searched his duffel bag, soon salvaging his own wallet, which was hiding under all his clothes.
He headed towards the door, an unwilling Raven following closely behind.
When they arrived to town, Amy and John went into a small diner to socialize with some of their friends. They told everybody to meet them back at the cars at around 3:30. Victor and Karen went off to a boutique because Karen saw a cute yellow dress in the window that she just had to try on.
After waving goodbye to Karen and Vic, Kori turned to Raven and Gar. "Friends, where would you like to go?"
Gar looked down at his feet, hoping that Kori would not be offended by what he was about to say. "Oh we thought that you two could go somewhere alone and we could go somewhere alone. You know, so you can bond or whatever before the wedding. Not that we don't want to be around you guys, we just thought-"
Kori squealed with glee, smiling brightly as she hugged Gar and then Raven. "Are you okay with this, friend Raven?"
Raven, not wanting to break Kori's heart, allowed an artificial smile to appear on her face as she nodded. "Of course. Gar and I can shop together while you and Richard enjoy yourselves. I happen to enjoy Garfield's company so it's no trouble. Have fun."
"Oh thank you friend Raven!" Kori excitedly grabbed her fiancée's arm and ran into a small café.
Gar just smiled at Raven nervously, not knowing what to say. He felt like this was a date, and it seemed like one. However Raven didn't seem to think it was. "Okay I'm going to go look for a place that sells bathing suits in this god-forsaken town. You can go…scamper off and do whatever it is you would wish to do. We can meet back here later at around one for lunch."
"No!" Gar grabbed Raven's hand in order to ensure that she wouldn't walk away from him. "We…uh…have to stay together in case Amy and John see us! Come on, I won't peek or ask you to model while you try on bathing suits, I promise. You don't even need to show me the bathing suit! Just let me stay with you so I don't get lost!"
"Stop whining and you can come. Also, let go of my hand." When Gar let go of Raven's hand, she walked ahead, her eyes scouring store windows that was holding what she needed. After about ten minutes of walking and searching, Raven spotted a fairly large store with mannequins in the window display clad with bikinis and beachwear. "I'll be going in here. Are you coming?"
Gar nodded before following her into the store. She scanned the racks for a suitable bikini, one that wouldn't reveal too much skin. Sure she could have gotten a one piece bathing suit, but if she did she knew that Kori, Karen, and Jinx would make her borrow one of their own bathing suits. No way was she going to do that. After what felt like hours, she finally found a couple of bikinis that weren't stringy or too small. Gar picked out a couple bikinis himself, ones that were of the teardrop style, and earned himself a new set of bruises on his arm, courtesy of Raven.
She didn't model her bikini or show Gar what it looked like before she bought it. All she told him was that it was a plain dark blue bikini. He didn't ask any questions, knowing that that it would just annoy her and it would possibly ruin their day together. When they got outside the store, Gar looked down at his watch and noticed that it was 1:30 and they hadn't had any lunch yet. "Come on Rae, let's go get some pizza!" He grabbed her hand and headed towards a pizza place that was just across from the bikini store.
Raven, who would usually snatch her hand back and follow silently, allowed him intertwine his fingers with her own. She didn't want to argue and fight with Gar anymore. She decided that she needed to stop rejecting his friendship. When they got inside, they were led to a table for two and handed menus. Gar pulled Raven's chair out for her, his chivalrous action causing her to roll her eyes. When they sat down and Gar observed his menu in silence. "Why are you even looking at the menu? Isn't clear that we're going to get a vegan pizza?"
Gar looked up at Raven, looking at her with a questioning glance. "You would be okay with getting a vegan pie? Are you sure? Cause we can get whatever you want. Like pepperoni or something…?"
Raven shrugged. "It's fine. Vegan pizzas really aren't that bad. I kind of like them."
Gar smiled and told the waiter one small vegan pie, guessing that Raven wouldn't eat much. "This has been a really weird week."
Raven looked up at Gar, and nodded her head. "It definitely hasn't been normal."
"When was the last time we've experienced normal?" Gar let out a chuckle as he munched on a breadstick he plucked from the basket on the center of the table.
"Well I've been having a normal life every day for the past five years, while you've been off in Africa playing 'Gar of the Jungle'." When Raven saw Gar wince at her harsh tone, she sighed and continued with a softer tone. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. I didn't mean to sound so mean."
Gar shrugged, knowing that Raven had a difficult time adjusting to a normal lifestyle alone. "S'okay. Hey Raven, can I ask you a question?"
Raven shifted uncomfortably in her seat meeting Gar's gaze. "What is it?"
Gar looked away from Raven, feeling nervous all of a sudden. "Do you wanna watch a meteor shower tonight maybe? I read that there was supposed to be one tonight, but not until like one in the morning. You don't have to stay up with me, I just thought I would ask so you wouldn't kill me for waking you up in the middle of the night."
Raven thought about Gar's offer. It's not like she had any plans later that night. She nodded in agreement, deciding that watching a meteor shower couldn't hurt. "Sure. So are you interested in astronomy now?"
"Nah." Gar shook his head, his eyes spotting their waiter coming out of the kitchen doors with their pie. Gar thanked him when he placed the pizza on the table. "I just thought it'd be cool to watch. I've never seen one before."
"Me neither." Raven took a slice of pizza, laughing silently to herself as Gar piled three slices onto his plate. "Someone's hungry."
"I build up quite the appetite being this good looking." Gar wiggled his eyes brows before biting down into a piece of vegan pizza.
"Sure." Raven started sarcastically. "I can see it now – ladies swooning whenever Garfield Logan flashes them his fang-ridden smile or shows them his abnormally pointy ears."
"What can I say? I'm irresistible." Gar leaned back comfortably in his seat, finishing off his first slice of pizza while Raven was still nibbling at her first slice.
Raven and Gar had both enjoyed the rest of lunch. Gar spent a good twenty minutes trying to convince Raven how the statement "chicks dig the ears!" was true. They engaged in a playful banter until it was time for them to head back to the cars.
Raven and Gar ended up being ten minutes late, but nobody really cared since Kori and Dick didn't return until 3:50. Neither Raven nor Gar intended to spend ten minutes arguing over who paid the check (an argument Gar had won, much to Raven's dissatisfaction).
When they had arrived home, Amy instructed everybody to take a moment to wash up quickly so that they could all partake in a pre-dinner activity. Jinx and Wally were running late with dinner, which was odd for a speedster, so dinner wouldn't be ready until 6:30.
After everyone was dressed and ready, John gathered everyone in the living room. He handed out two pieces of paper and two pencils to each couple as Amy explained what they were doing. "We would like you to write three things you hate about your partner and three things you love about your partner. This is a healthy activity that couples should do often. It reminds us on why we love the other person so much." She smiled and touched John's arm softly.
Raven groaned inwardly before beginning to scribble down some words onto her piece of paper. She could easily think of three things she hated about Gar. But three things she loved? That would be difficult.
*Three Thing's I Hate About Garfield Logan:
He's an annoying little green pest.
He never leaves me alone, not even when I threaten him.
He has the worst jokes I've ever heard and is constantly happy. I will never understand why he is so optimistic.
*Three Things I Love About Garfield Logan:
He's always there for me, even when I don't want him to be. He always tries to include me in things, even when I didn't want to be included. It feels nice sometimes to feel like you're wanted.
He's the most unbelievable person I've ever met. He's sweet, kind, caring, strong, intelligent (I am aware that this is difficult to believe, but it is true), thoughtful, handsome, and about everything else that you would want in the perfect guy. He's the whole package. Of course he's also irritating, cheerful, and immature, but I've learned to love his flaws over the years.
He's the most amazing kisser. When he kisses me, everything annoying in my life, save for him, disappears and my life just gets better. There's no explaining it. No other man has ever kissed me the way Garfield Logan has kissed me. Sometimes I don't want his kisses to end. I hope nobody sees this. Maybe I should erase it. Oh wait…there's no eraser on my pencil. Oh great.
Gar tapped his pencil against his thigh, wearing a thoughtful expression. After thinking for a few moments, he knew exactly what to write.
*Three Things I Hate About Raven Roth:
She constantly pushes me away. I just want to get closer to her.
She never laughs at my jokes. They're hilarious!
She never smiles. Sure she tosses in a smirk or a small grin, but I don't think she has ever smiled a real genuine smile. I bet you her smile would be beautiful. I wish she would smile.
*Three Things I Love About Raven Roth:
She's mysterious. I used to hate this about her, the whole mystery girl routine. But her mystery is something that really suites her. It adds this sort of sexiness to her that I can't help but be in love with.
She's independent. I get it that most guys would be intimidated by a girl like this. I mean, it's just easiest to fall for a dimwitted girl who has no mind of her own. But Raven here really is something special. She's strong, independent, and most definitely can think for herself. I've never met a woman quite like her.
She's so damn beautiful. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my whole entire life. Models and actresses have nothing on her. I don't know what it is about her…but she really is beautiful. Maybe it's that sexy body of hers, or maybe it's that gorgeous face and flawless skin. Maybe it's the way she talks or maybe it's just her amazing personality. I don't know. Whatever it is, there is no denying that Raven Roth is the most beautiful person that anybody will ever meet, inside and out. I love her. I love her with all my heart. God I hope nobody sees this. At least I got to admit that I'm in love with Raven Roth. I wish I knew what to do. Oh gosh I hope nobody reads this. Why would I let myself write something like this? There's something wrong with me.
While collecting all the pencils, Amy advised all the couples on what they should do. "Alrighty. Now we won't be reading these out loud unless anybody wants to volunteer. However, I do suggest that you do read these to your partner."
Of course Richard and Kori volunteered to share theirs, as well as Victor and Karen. Both couples had the same exact answers. For the three things they hate about their partner, all four young adults wrote the word nothing. For the three things they love about their partner, all four young adults wrote the word everything.
Raven wanted to gag. She doubted that was true. She knew that Kori hated how obsessive Richard could be with things and she knew Karen hated how oblivious Victor could be. She wished Jinx was there, at least she wouldn't hold back on saying how she hated how immature and irresponsible Wally could be.
When it came to be their turn, Gar mustered a lie that they both had a fear of public speaking and it's something that they would rather do in private. Amy and John understood. After that, Jinx announced that dinner would be ready in a few minutes. Raven and Gar went upstairs to put the papers away. Raven folded up her paper and shoved it into a drawer under her clothes. Gar crumbled his up and tossed it on the nightstand that was near his side of the bed, knowing that Raven wouldn't look at it. She respected other people's privacy.
Surprisingly, dinner was very delicious. Raven suspected that Wally either made it all or ran off somewhere and bought something pre-maid. She knew that Jinx had the same cooking ability as she did, and that Wally did a majority of the cooking.
After dinner, Raven and Gar dressed in sweatpants and t-shirts, wanting to be comfortable when they watched the stars fall. Gar stole a blanket from the closet as the two silently made their way outside. Raven took note of the time before following Gar outside. It was almost nine, meaning they had a good four hours to spare until the meteor show actually began.
Raven was tired. She wanted to go to bed, but she also wanted to watch the shower. She decided to stick it out, knowing that if she fell asleep that Gar would wake here up when it started. She watched as Gar laid out a blanket for them to relax on. Raven laid down and looked up at the sky. She'd never really seen the stars so clearly before. "This is so beautiful. Have you ever seen such beautiful stars?"'
"Yea, I have." Gar laid down next to Raven, turning his head towards Raven. "So, city girl isn't used to a night sky that isn't covered up by pollution?"
Raven ignored his last comment, her eyes glued to the stars above her. "Do you know any? You know, any constellations?"
"Yea. I know almost all of them. I got kind of bored at night when I was alone, so I kind of looked them up and learned them." Gar looked back up at the stars, his eyes searching for familiar constellations.
"You're such a dork." Raven teased, wondering how long it took for him to actually memorize where the constellations were. "So can you show me one?
"That one's called Corona Borealis. It means The Northern Crown in Latin." Gar pointed to the sky, his finger tracing the image of a crown in mid-air. Raven looked to where his finger was locating, taking a while to find the stars Gar was trying to show her. "It's a love story. Legend says that The Northern Crown belonged to princess Ariadne of Crete. Her father, King Minos, kept a ferocious Minotaur trapped in a labyrinth. It had a taste for human flesh, and sometimes victims from Athens were put into the maze for the Minotaur to eat. One year the prince of Athens, Theseus, was going to be fed to the Minotaur. When the princess Ariadne saw Theseus, she immediately fell in love with him and promised to help him escape, if he would take her away and marry her. For her it was love at first sight. Theseus agreed, and Ariadne secretly gave him a spool of thread just before he was put into the maze. Theseus unraveled the thread behind him as he hunted down the Minotaur and killed it. Then he followed the thread back out of the maze, and carried Ariadne off across the sea back to Athens. During their journey they stopped at the island of Dia, the home of the god Dionysus (Bacchus). Theseus abandoned Ariadne on the shores of the island, and she became really depressed and sad. When Dionysus found her, he took her as his wife, and they lived a long and happy life together. She was just a human though so she eventually died. In honor of her memory, Dionysus removed her crown, and flung it into the sky, where the jewels became stars, to stand as an eternal monument to her love and loyalty."
"Wow. You should really save that story for a future date. I'm sure any other girl would think of you as a highly romantic individual for knowing that story." Raven commented, taking in the story Gar had just told her. It was weird to her that he knew a story like that; Raven never pegged him to be interested in Greek mythology.
Gar chuckled at Raven, looking back at her tired face. "You don't think I'm romantic?"
Raven closed her eyes and yawned, not answering Gar's question. "Will you wake me up when the meteor show starts?"
Although Raven couldn't see it, Gar nodded. He lay there in silence, millions of thoughts running through his mind as he gazed at the stars. The time fly by rather quickly for Gar, as his mind was preoccupied with thoughts about Raven. She was all he thought about anymore. Now that he finally accepted the fact that he did indeed love Raven, he needed a way to act on that love. But how?
Something all of a sudden caught his eyes. A glimmering star shooting across the sky. He gently nudged Raven awake with his elbow, smiling when he saw the amazed look on his face. "Wow." He heard her utter the single word as both their eyes followed the falling stars.
"Make sure that you make a wish Rae!" Gar told her, as the last few of the stars flew across the sky.
Raven rolled her eyes at how cliché Gar was acting. Even though she didn't believe making a wish on a shooting star, she did it anyway. She closed her eyes tight and wished to no longer be alone. While she was happy for all her friends falling in love and moving on with their lives, she feared that she was being left behind – forgotten. She didn't want to feel that way ever again. She was glad that she hadn't felt that way at all since she had been reunited with Gar just a few days ago.
Gar on the other hand wished for Raven. Not to fall in love with him or anything – he wanted her to do that on her own. He just wished for her to act this nicely with him every day. He wanted her to be friendly with him, like she used to be back when they were teens. He hoped that she would act as great as she did when they were in town or even when they were looking at the stars whenever they were together.
"So what did you wish for?" Raven's weary voice interrupted his thoughts.
"If I tell you it won't come true!" Gar pointed out as he stood up and stretched. "Come on Rae, we should go inside now and get some sleep. You don't want to be tired for the beach tomorrow!"
Raven moaned in protest, taking the blanket and covering herself in it as she turned away from Gar. "I don't want to get up, I'm too comfortable here."
"You're comfortable? On the ground?" When Raven didn't respond, Gar scooped her up in his arms, bridal style. He ignored her shrieks of protest as he walked back towards the bed and breakfast. Both stayed silent when he enter the bed and breakfast and made his way up the stairs to their room. He laid Raven down on the bed carefully, Raven shifting her body weight so that she could get under the covers without having to get up. She then adjusted her pillow to her liking and quickly dozed off, murmuring a thank you as she did so.
Gar simply watched Raven, amused at how lazy she was acting. He didn't say anything as he crawled into bed beside her, feeling rather content as he dozed off.
I really thought this would be a quick chapter but then I was wrong. It's really over 4000 words right now. Why I do these horrible things to myself, I will never know.
Thanks for reading you guys, please review! I hope you liked it! Next chapter there's going to be drama and you might just hate me, but it will all be resolved in the end :)
Oh and you also now know why it's called Three Things! (I know it's technically twelve things – six things each – but it's three lovey-dovey things each so...yea xD)