Burn
Chapter Two
Disclaimer: I don't own Manic Panic or The Hush Sound or any of their songs. I do, however, own Super Robot Monkey Dance Disco Dude 1, 2, and 3. I also own Lydia.
"Tonight, I am the drug you can't deny! Tonight, GAR gonna get you high," the young green changeling sang, his slender legs propelling him continuously into the air around the lushly carpeted living room. A piercing DING DONG! interrupted his concert performance. Beast Boy groaned and dragged himself to the front door. "Who is it?" he asked half-heartedly.
His heart began to race as a female voice answered, "Lydia!"
Beast Boy studied the small LCD screen to view the body from which the voice came. "Woah! She's hot!" he murmured dreamily as he studied Lydia's prominent features. He pressed- no, slammed- the button that opened the door and drank in the beauty of the figure that stood before him.
"Um, hi!" Lydia greeted, becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the unwanted attention.
Beast Boy licked his hand and slicked back his dark green hair as he leaned against the wall. "I'm Beast Boy," he greeted smoothly, offering his hand.
Lydia glanced down at Beast Boy's dripping hand in disgust. "Uh...yeah..." She glanced around. "Where's Robin?" she inquired.
"Huh?" Beast Boy pushed himself off the wall and followed the wandering Lydia. "Robin? How do you know him?"
"He invited me here," Lydia replied.
Robin emerged from his room. He rushed over stealthily and wrapped his arms around Lydia's petite frame from behind, lifting her off the floor in his embrace. Lydia giggled as Robin relinquished his visceral grip. Beast Boy retrieved his jaw from the floor.
"How come you get all the hot chicks?!" he insisted, his arms folded.
Lydia shot the changeling a scowl. As the pair settled onto the couch, Lydia gestured toward the fidgeting Beast Boy. "Is he your roommate?"
Robin, his hands dawdling through Lydia's teal forest of hair, nodded. "Yeah. Beast Boy. There's also Cyborg and Starfire," Robin informed.
"And Raven," Beast Boy added.
"And Raven," Robin repeated, begrudgingly.
Lydia nodded, her interest dwindling. "Cool," she said, watching as Beast Boy initiated his Game Station. "Super Robot Monkey Dance Disco Dude 3: Extreme Edition," Lydia murmured, reading the box that was nestled in the young changeling's hand. "DUDE! You have the extreme edition?! That was in limited release!" she cried, her blue eyes glistening with wonder.
Beast Boy's ears perked up. Did she just... no way! He whirled around, his mouth agape and excitement dancing in his emerald eyes. "You know this game? DUDE!"
"DUDE!" Lydia mimicked, matching Beast Boy's intensity and excitement.
A door snapped open and out popped Cyborg, who whizzed into the living room and somersaulted onto the couch. "Did someone say Super Robot Monkey Dance Disco Dude 3?!"
Lydia giggled. "You must be Cyborg!"
Cyborg turned to the young teen, viewing her for the first time. "Yeah!" he assured with a grin.
Lydia flung a wireless dance pad in his direction. "I'm Lydia. And I'm gonna show you how this game is played," she smirked, adjusting the dance settings to match her expertise.
Cyborg leaned toward Robin. "Who's she?" he whispered.
Robin grinned proudly toward the furiously dancing Lydia. "My girlfriend," he replied.
Cyborg nodded slowly, muttering "Lucky bastard" under his breath.
Between the endless loop of Perfect!'s and Super Monkey Moonwalk!'s, Raven wandered out of her lair, wary of the thunderous racket. She massaged her throbbing head and lowered the hood of her midnight blue cloak. She glided into the bathroom, shuffling through the various analgesics until she found what she was searching for. She popped off its top and downed 3 or 5- it's all the same when they're careening down your throat- and replaced the cap, closing the medicine cabinet. The empath studied her sleepless reflection in disgust, all the while wondering where she went wrong. Who are you? she demanded, but was only answered with the same question. Raven raised her trembling hand to her face, attempting to fend off the intruding under-eye circles. A lethargic sigh was released into the shadows as the sullen teen closed the door behind her.
With her hands buried deep in the pockets of her grey cord pants, Raven made her way into the kitchen. She set her favorite mug on the countertop and began to boil her water. She recovered a lone chamomile tea bag from the depths of her tea cabinet and placed it beside her mug. Raven propped herself upon the counter, her legs swinging to and fro in a steady cadence, her violet eyes inverted in deep thought. She immediately turned away as the Boy Wonder wandered in, his new beau on his arm.
"Raven!" Robin acknowledged, with a smile that Raven believed ranked with the highest of cynics.
Raven faced her ex and that girl. Don't say a word. Don't say a word. Don't say a word... "Hi, Robin."
Robin gestured toward the blue-nette. "This is-"
"Lydia," Lydia concluded. An uneasy smile formed steadily, at the rate of one-eighth of a smile per second.
Raven pleased them with the insincerest of smiles as she checked the status of her water. She meticulously poured the water into her mug and added the tea bag. She hopped down from the counter and weaved her way through the dastardly twosome to the refrigerator. After inspecting its contents for a moment (including the questionable furry blue substance), Raven decided that her best interest was in the pantry instead. She retrieved a package of Ramen noodles and prepared it as instructed. She drummed her fingertips on the smooth countertop, waiting for her noodles to boil.
"So... How are you?" Lydia asked, breaking silence's lengthy reign.
Raven turned around and propped her elbows upon the counter, her steel glare directed toward the wall. "Great," she lied.
Lydia peered down at the floor, wondering what she did to deserve Raven's wrath. "I like your hair," she muttered half-heartedly.
Caught off-guard, Raven turned toward Lydia. "Thanks," she murmured, disarmed by the compliment.
Lydia glanced up at the empath, a smile blossoming on her lips. "What dye do you use?" she wondered, inspecting Raven's purple coif.
Raven cocked an eyebrow. "It's natural," she replied, as-a-matter-of-factly.
Lydia ran a hand through her own mane. "Mine- Manic Panic. I'm a natural blond," she laughed.
Raven shook her head as a thin smile danced on her lips. The faint sonance of water boiling floated through her ears. She added the "oriental" flavor packet to the noodles, stirring the slimy concoction with a wooden spoon. Raven then poured the soup into a faded violet saucer, placing the used utensils into the dishwasher. She grabbed her bowl and mug, glanced longingly at the couple dining on ice cream and soda, and made her way to her room.
Shadows all around you as you surface from the dark
Emerging from the gentle grip of night's unfolding arms
Darkness, darkness everywhere, do you feel alone?
The subtle grace of gravity, the heavy weight of stone
Raven lay in the darkness of her bedroom, surrounded by the familiar shadows, wishing to join their ranks. Doesn't he miss me? she wondered as she hugged her knees for dear life. She released her grip and allowed herself to fall backward. She rolled over and held Robin's ghost, comforted by memories.
You don't see what you possess, a beauty calm and clear
It floods the sky and blurs the darkness like a chandelier
All the light that you possess is skewed by lakes and seas
The shattered surface, so imperfect, is all that you believe
Her amethyst eyes remained shut, knowing that the moment she opened them, her spectral visitor would dissipate. Heated tears of regret streamed down her cheeks, bringing her black mascara with them.
I will bring a mirror, so silver, so exact
So precise and so pristine, a perfect pane of glass
I will set the mirror up to face the blackened sky
You will see your beauty every moment that you rise
Raven finally opened her eyes as the memory of Robin's comfort faded. She stared at the black of her ceiling until its image burned into her retinas.
I'm alone...
Review, please. It would mean a lot to me. Next chapter coming soon!