Hey everyone! Here's Chapter 21! Hope you enjoy it!
Bbrae-4ever fanfics: Thank you! I'm really glad that you liked that idea! And yeah! I'm so sorry that updates have been erratic over the last semester, but my goal is to finish uploading this story by the time I return to school in the next 3-4 weeks! Posting on this website can be confusing. It definitely took me a while to figure it out before I was able to upload Childlike. I'd be glad to discuss with you through the private messaging how to upload if you'd like! Thank you; I'm glad you're enjoying the story! :)
RPGPersona: Definitely, yeah. It would've been a completely different outcome had Raven come to the door instead. And I've always imagined them like that too; I really wish the show would've shown more Beast Boy and Starfire moments. And yeah! Spending time around his friends is helpful, even if it feels forced! And depression is such a mystery; I hope I portrayed it somewhat realistically. I felt that the getting lost in music would be relatable to most if not all readers, so I'm glad that you and others are actually relating to that! And it's definitely an odd concept, and one that is hard to understand unless you've been through it yourself. In which case, it's probably best to not understand it. And I'm glad that showed through too. Although friends are certainly helpful in the healing process, they are by no means a cure. And regarding the Doom Patrol, I chose to let that be up to reader's own interpretation. I personally thought that he would have a difficult time opening up, and therefore they could only do so much in helping him to feel better and to be less destructive, while not really being able to help him heal in any way. I'm glad you're enjoying the story! :)
Please keep reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it! :)
"Breakfast is ready, y'all!" Cyborg yelled out to the four teens in the Main Ops room. Everyone had gotten up early and gathered this morning, which was the first time in what felt like a long time. Raven and Beast Boy were sitting at the kitchen table while she sipped on tea and he sat next to her. Robin and Starfire were sitting on the couch watching the news. Cyborg was in the kitchen stacking warm waffles on a plate. As promised, they were made with soy milk and an egg substitute so that they could be eaten by his vegetarian friend. He could suffer through the vegan breakfast as long as he got his friend to eat.
Robin and Starfire got up from the couch to join Raven and Beast Boy at the kitchen table as Cyborg brought over the plate of waffles and a bottle of syrup. The teens all sat down and started digging into the waffles, pouring the sugary goodness on top.
"Friend Cyborg, these are glorious!" Starfire beamed as she began to eat.
"Yeah, Cy, these are great. Thanks!" Robin agreed, stuffing another bite in his face.
"Thanks guys! Glad you like them. I've never used this recipe before," Cyborg responded, referring to the fact that they were vegan waffles.
Everyone was aware that they were vegan waffles, and even though Cyborg never said so, they knew that he made them specifically with Beast Boy in mind. They were all growing increasingly concerned for their friend, and they wanted to make sure that he was eating. They didn't want him falling into the same pattern as before.
The waffles were soon gone and Cyborg got up to put the dishes away in the sink. Beast Boy was about to get up to return to his room, but Robin approached him before he could.
"Beast Boy, can I talk to you real quick?" Robin asked his younger teammate.
"Um, sure, I guess," Beast Boy said.
Robin nodded and started to make his way out of the Main Ops room and into the hallway. Beast Boy stood up and followed.
As soon as they were out in the hallway, Robin turned to face Beast Boy.
"I wanted to check up on you and make sure you're okay," Robin said, his voice stern but worried.
"I'm fine," Beast Boy responded. He started to fidget with his fingers and hands, growing uncomfortable with this seemingly repeated conversation.
"Beast Boy, I'm serious. We know you're not fine. Just because the conversation from a few days ago is finished does not mean this conversation as a whole is done. This is a serious matter," he continued, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I said I'm fine! Look, I appreciate your concern and all but I don't need you guys constantly asking me if I'm okay or not!" Beast Boy said, his voice somewhat rising.
"If you would actually open up to us and let us know what's going on with you, we wouldn't have to constantly ask!" Robin retorted, his voice rising as well.
"I don't have time for this, Robin. Please just stop talking to me about it," Beast Boy said as he turned away from the Boy Wonder towards his room. He didn't get too far though before Robin grabbed his arm to hold him back. Beast Boy winced harshly, gritting his teeth.
Beast Boy stopped walking, but kept his back towards Robin. Robin approached him closer, still holding onto his arm. He pulled up his sleeve, revealing the red, mauled skin underneath. His wrist was covered in heated, crimson lines. Some of them were thin lines, whereas others were thicker due to the deepness of the wound. They started right at the base of his wrist, and were scattered all the way up to at least his elbow, which is where the sleeve was rolled up to. And this was only one wrist; he didn't know what the other one looked like, or any part of his body for that matter.
"Beast Boy," Robin said, lowering his voice, "This is why this is serious. This is why we keep asking you about it. You're keeping so much hidden from us, and it's obvious that you are in a lot of pain. We want to help you. Why won't you let us?"
"You can't help me. This is my problem, and I don't want any of you to get involved," Beast Boy responded, still not looking at Robin. Robin, wanting eye contact in this conversation, grabbed both of Beast Boy's shoulders and spun him to face him.
"We are involved, and we're going to remain involved. You are a part of this team, a part of this family, and we are not going to let you deal with this all by yourself," he said.
"You can't help me! Why can't any of you understand that?!" Beast Boy said, his voice somewhat rising again.
"We can help, but you won't let us! Tell me; how can we help you? What can we do to make this better?" Robin asked.
"I don't know! Maybe a bullet through the skull?" Beast Boy said, practically yelling at this point.
Robin looked stunned at that last statement, expecting anything but that. Beast Boy, on the other hand, looked irate.
"This isn't funny, Beast Boy," Robin said, his voice low.
"Never said it was," he responded, shaking his leader's hands off of his shoulders. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to my room. Alone." He turned and walked down the hallway, pulling his sleeve back down over his injuries. Soon, Robin was left alone in a state of shock. Knowing that it would be a bad idea to follow Beast Boy to his room, Robin turned back and went into the Main Ops room. He located Raven and walked over to the empath.
"Raven," he said, his voice near a whisper.
"Yes?" she responded, looking up from her book.
"I just spoke with Beast Boy. He's getting worse. I saw his wrist, and although I don't know how bad it was before, I know it's really bad now. He won't listen to me. He won't open up to me. Can you try talking with him?" he said, his voice still quiet.
"I've tried talking with him. He's stubborn. He refuses to let anyone in. I'll keep trying, but I can't make any promises on the matter," Raven responded, setting her book down completely. "Do you think right now would be a good time to talk with him?"
"Probably not. Our discussion got heated, and he's pretty mad. I don't think he'd be responsive to anymore attempts at the moment," Robin responded.
Raven nodded, taking in this information.
"I will talk with him later once he is hopefully calmed down," she said. She could feel waves of nervousness and uncertainty coming off of the boy in front of her. "Don't worry. We'll get to the bottom of this and everything will be okay."
"I hope so," Robin responded, letting out a deep breath. He stood up and walked out of the Main Ops room, leaving Raven behind in thought.