Hey everyone! Here's Chapter 19! Hope you enjoy it!
Bbrae-4ever fanfics: I mean, all of them have had pretty tough lives in their own unique ways. And everyone chooses to cope differently, some being more prone to destructive habits than others. Perhaps it would be interesting if Raven could relate to BB in that way, but I wouldn't necessarily describe it as cool. In the end, I chose to have him go through those difficulties and no one else. Perhaps I'll write a story like that someday, but probably not in this one. I really appreciate that view though! :)
RPGPersona: Definitely, I agree. It was quite a tense and difficult situation, and it would've been really easy to lose their tempers and to have the situation get out of control. I thought it may have been a bit much in one go, but I also felt like it was necessary here. The situation with Beast Boy is definitely becoming more and more tense and serious; no one on the team is going to be happy about it, especially Raven. Hope you're enjoying the story! :)
Raenelly: I understand; I'm sorry that it brings back such memories. And tattoo cover-ups are so great! I have one tattoo cover-up and I understand how uncomfortable it can be when people notice and point it out. That's so great! I love how you're taking your experience and using it to help others in a positive light! And thank you! That really means a lot! :)
Please keep reading and reviewing; I really appreciate it!
The morning light began to peak through the window intrusively. It shone down on the green figure that lay on the ground, his chest rising and falling with each breath. Soon, the light became too bright, invading past his eyelids and waking him up slowly. The first thing he noticed upon opening his eyes was the mess that surrounded him. The second thing he noticed was the burning pain in his wrist. When he looked down at it, the skin was angry and red, with sticky blood covering it and keeping it stiff. When he attempted to move it, the wounds screamed in pain, feeling as if his skin was being torn apart violently.
Sitting up, he got a better look at the chaos surrounding him. There were random items strewn all around him from the removed drawer, ranging from pencils to old food wrappers to small notepads. Also scattered around him was a bloodied blade and dried blood pools.
"Shit," Beast Boy mumbled quietly as he stood back up. He slowly stood up and got his bearings. His whole body was stiff from his tense night on the floor. Taking in a deep breath, he began to pick up the items and replace them into the drawer. It was easy enough. Putting the drawer back into its desk compartment was a different story. It didn't want to go back in, at least not without a fight, and he had to resort to slamming his body against the drawer just to get it reinserted.
He stared down at the blood on the carpet and knew that it was never going to come out. There was no use in even trying. Had he tried to remove it last night while it was still fresh, he may have been able to get some out, but there was simply too much soaked into the carpet, all dry and coagulated now. He looked down at the front of his uniform which was also stained with blood. Walking to his closet, he stripped off the dirty garments and put on a new, clean uniform. As he was slipping his shirt over his head, he heard a knock at the door.
He walked over to his door and opened it. Standing there in the hallway was Starfire. She seemed worried, but she was trying to cover it up with a large smile. She looked down at Beast Boy, a certain sorrow in her eyes.
"Good morning, friend Beast Boy!" she said, embracing the boy in a hug. After the initial shock of the sudden hug, he returned it, wrapping his sore arms around the enthusiastic alien.
"Morning, Star," Beast Boy said as they departed from their hug. "What are you doing here?" It was unusual for her to visit him in his room.
As a response, Starfire placed a lightweight necklace around his neck. The necklace had blue, oddly shaped beads hanging from it. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the beads were smooth and almost glistened in the light, as if they had a fine glitter in them. They were marbled, a swirling of a deep, midnight blue and a bright cyan. The beads each resembled somewhat of a heart shape, but not quite. Each bead was slightly different in shape and size, making the necklace somewhat irregular looking.
"I have made for you a Trisomorrk, a necklace of sorrow. On my planet, those who are experiencing, as you would say, the 'blues', receive these trinkets to lift their spirits," Starfire said, her smile growing wider. She clasped her hands in front of her as she looked at the boy. "If you wish, I can also prepare for you the pudding of sadness in addition to your Trisomorrk."
"I think I'll pass on the pudding of sadness, but thanks Star. I really appreciate this," Beast Boy said as he rolled one of the odd beads between two of his fingers.
"You are most welcome, friend! I was also wondering if, perhaps, you would like to do the hanging out with me today. I have missed your presence ever so much," Starfire responded.
Beast Boy looked up at the girl. He didn't feel like hanging out. Hell, he didn't even feel like leaving his room. But, he also didn't want to upset his friend further. It was the least he could do to hang out with her and keep her company.
"Sure, Star. I'd like that," he said, which resulted in the eager hero squealing in delight.
"Wonderful!" she beamed. She grabbed onto his hand, making sure not to grab onto his wrist, and pulled him towards her room as she flew. When they reached her room, she pulled the green boy in with her. He looked around. Not much had changed since he had last been in here. It was still incredibly tidy and very, very pink.
Starfire left Beast Boy just past the entrance of her room as she let go of his hand and flew over to her bookshelf. She started examining the contents of the bookshelf, rummaging past all the magazines, nail polish bottles, and glittery knick-knacks. Soon, she had gathered a decently large stack of magazines and flew over to where a round, purple rug was set on the ground. She took a seat, motioning for Beast Boy to accompany her.
She spread out all the magazines, which ranged from teen girl magazines, to celebrity gossip, to food magazines. Starfire had a passion for stereotypical teenage girl past-times, which included her reading the magazines. She often tried to rope Raven into reading the magazines with her as they painted nails, but the empath rarely gave in. Beast Boy, on the other hand, didn't mind the hobby and enjoyed spending time with Starfire. She was like an older sister to him, and they had always appreciated each other's company ever since they met a few years back. They regularly read magazines with one another, taking the quizzes on the insides and enjoying the articles.
"Which ones would you like to start with?" Starfire asked once all the magazines were spread out.
Beast Boy shrugged.
"You choose, Star," he said. He watched as her eyes excitedly scanned the magazines before finally landing on a celebrity gossip one. She handed one to the changeling, and kept one to herself.
They started to flip through the magazines silently, occasionally commenting on things that they found interesting. Most of the comments came from Starfire, as she found the topics more interesting.
"It says here," Starfire spoke up, pointing at an article, "that the pool of dead is doing quite well."
Beast Boy looked up at Starfire, confusion covering his face.
"The pool of dead?" he asked, unsure of what she meant.
She picked up the magazine and showed him the page, pointing at the article.
"Yes, the pool of dead is doing quite well with the audiences," she repeated.
"Deadpool, Starfire. It's Deadpool," Beast Boy corrected.
"Ah, Deadpool," Starfire repeated, looking back at the article. "This movie looks quite entertaining. May we watch it at some point?"
"Sure, Star," Beast Boy repeated. He wasn't sure if Starfire would like the movie or not. It's not that he thought that it was a bad movie. In fact, he thought it was one of the great masterpieces of his time. But it was, nonetheless, very different than the types of movies that Starfire watched. He wouldn't mind seeing it again though, and he knew that Cyborg wouldn't mind at all either.
Smiling happily to herself, they went back to their respective articles. They continued reading through the magazines. A few minutes later, Beast Boy spoke up.
"By the way, Star, thank you," he said.
"For what?" she asked.
"For taking care of me. Now that I know that those are memories and not dreams, I can remember how much you helped me out a few months ago. I really appreciate it," he said, referring to the events that took place months ago. It was still shocking to him, though, that that actually happened. It was embarrassing for him. He felt revealed, naked almost, about what had happened.
"There is no need for thanks. It was my pleasure," she said, a smile covering her face. "Besides, despite what had happened, you were a joy to care of as a child!"
They both shared a small smile before returning back to their magazines. They both truly enjoyed these moments they got to share with one another. Beast Boy felt the calmest he had since the trip was announced. Despite how persistently low his mood was as of late, he felt occasional moments of happiness or bliss, such as moments like this. He just hoped that the lighter mood would last him for a while.
Starfire continued to reminisce to herself about the memories of when Beast Boy had been Garfield with them. It had been an extremely sad and concerning time for everyone, seeing their friend so miserable. But, during the lighter moments, they had truly enjoyed his presence. Despite his hardships, his childlike innocence would still shine through on occasion, lighting up their worlds. She desperately hoped that he would soon regain his happiness. She couldn't bear to see her friend in so much pain, and it warmed her heart greatly to see him look so at peace at the moment. She hoped it would continue for some time, both for the sake of the team, and, more importantly, for Beast Boy.