I do apologize, I've introduced an OC into this chapter as character creation practice. I'd appreciate constructive criticism if you have any, as it may help improve the story as I write the chapters.

Still a Disclaimer:
I wish I owned the Titans.
But the Titans belong to me just as much as the entire earth can belong to one individual.

My Iconic Birthday

Chapter 1

At 9:05 in the morning, after the announcements were made, the anthem was played, and the students had all settled into their seats for some early morning learning, Raven Roth was called down to the office. She had no mind as to why, though she was certain it wasn't anything bad. Even so, mindless students let out an "ooooooooooo" of mocking, and laughter erupted around her as she rose from her desk and left the room, rolling her eyes.

Teenagers.

Her school's thin halls were still busy with straggling students. Raven passed by some teachers, clearing their throats and ushering slackers into class. She slipped quietly into the office, wondering just what they wanted with her when she noticed two girls about her age standing off to the side.

The first girl seemed to radiate an essence of unicorns bathing in rainbow dust. Long red hair cascaded around her golden skinned face, accenting a pair of excided green eyes that were pulled into a grin as she chatted animatedly at the girl standing next to her.

The other listened in polite interest. She was shorter than the first girl, whom Raven noticed was actually quite tall for her gender, and was host to an elegant frame of yellow hair. Her eyes snapped to Raven's, a golden brown that were enhanced by something. Contacts maybe? They seemed eerily familiar.

She shivered in discomfort and looked away, hoping one of the secretaries had seen her come in.

"Ah, Raven!" She turned abruptly as the principle walked into the room, motioning to the two girls. "I'd like to introduce you to Miss Koriand'r and Stella Siefs." He paused. "Did I say that right?"

The redhead nodded enthusiastically.

"Well then, this is Raven Roth. She'll be mentoring you for your first week of school."

Raven, who had been busy not paying attention, gave a sudden start. She looked at Stella, her face, stance, name… but no. Her hair was the wrong colour. "Mentor, sir? Are you sure I'm the right person for that kind of… responsibility?"

The principle smiled. "Yes, Raven. You've been here a year now, you know the school, and your grades aren't in any way threatened by the extra time it will take. I think you'll be perfect."

She looked back at the girls. Koriand'r was waving with a bubbly smile and Stella was staring at her. "Um… sure."

"Splendid!" He ushered the three of them out of the office, and disappeared into the depths of principleland. Raven didn't know where exactly he went, and found she really didn't care.

"So… Kori-and'r." She tested the name, not quite sure if it flowed with the English language all that well. It sounded almost like a spice she'd seen at the store. It occurred to her the girl hadn't been introduced with a last name either.

"Humans have trouble remembering my true name." Humans? "It would be most acceptable to be called by the translation into your language. You may refer to me as Starfire."

Odd girl. Not human. She'd have to make a note of that somewhere. "So, uh, Star-fire." Well, it worked a little better. "What class do you have first?"

"Oh, I was discussing this with my new friend Stella! Is it not most glorious? She has agreed to become my friend!" Starfire grabbed Stella around the neck in what appeared to be a bone crushing hug. Instead of flinching, the girl rubbed the back of her neck with a free hand and laughed a bit.

"Uh, ya. We're having lunch together."

Raven studied them both critically. "Glorious. Now what class do you have?"

The young woman looked appalled. "Did I not say? I have the class of sciences first, though I wish to visit the room of baths to fix my hair. Have I said that correctly?"

Stella nodded while Raven took a moment to breathe deeply. Starfire expressed too much emotion, most of which Raven was picking up with her empathic abilities. As the happiness and excitement rushed at Raven in a tidal wave of deadly emotion, she could feel it for sure now. Starfire was not human in the slightest.

She took another deep breath and held out her hand. "Give me your schedule. I'll take a look while you're in the bathroom." Starfire placed the schedule in her mentor's hand. "Bathroom's over there."

"Does Stella desire to accompany me?"

Stella shrugged. "Nah. I'm good."

Starfire bit her lip but said nothing as she walked away. It was clear to Raven that the teenager loved attention and company, but didn't want to offend anyone. Probably easily manipulated on account of those facts, possibly even a little stupid. Still, only time could tell that. Starfire oozed of new culture, a sign that she hadn't been in Jump City for a very long time.

"So, when did you dye your hair black?"

Ah, so it was her.

"Probably about the same time you died your hair blond."

"Touché."

They stared at each other in silence, carefully taking in the other to make sure all their body parts were still in place. Raven didn't know what to say. She wasn't exactly the talkative type, but Stella was clearly waiting for her to start asking questions. Typical of her. Though a part of Raven realised that maybe Stella didn't want to discus anything. She seemed quite uncomfortable in the empty hall next to the bathroom. Maybe she wanted to forget the past. Was she running away? What about parents? She must have parents around somewhere.

Finally Stella looked away. "You should probably actually look at that schedule."

Ah, right. The schedule. Raven looked down and cursed. Bubbly redheaded unicorn girl had science with her. Of all the science classes of all the grades, Raven had to share with the emotionally explosive alien who thrived off of human attention. Worse yet, Garfield would see her walk into the class with another student and most likely take offence. Hadn't she rejected his offer of friendship not twenty-four hours ago?

"What's wrong?"

Stella was looking over her shoulder now, studying Starfire's schedule.

"Nothing. What classes do you have?"

Stella looked at her own paper, just realising for the first time that she would actually have to be going to class today. "Uh… Visual Arts and English."

The two didn't have to wait much longer for Starfire to get out of the bathroom. Raven took up the time giving Stella instructions to get to the Visual Arts room. They were lucky enough to be in the same English class, so they could meet up there before lunch. Yes, Raven had decided to have lunch with them. It was part of her job as a mentor, she reasoned. Not an act of friendship.

When Starfire came out of the bathroom, they split up and went to their separate classes.

x-x-x

Garfield Logan was mad. Mad because she, of all people, had walked into the classroom with a… with a friend. Hadn't she rejected his offer of friendship not twenty-four hours ago? Oh, she was in for a severe verbal lashing.

As he approached the far table in the cafeteria his anger began to boil deep in the pit of his stomach. She wasn't just with a friend. She was with two friends.

He marched up to the table and slammed his hands against it, rattling the trays of food and startling the lunch goers. Garfield was pleased to note that Raven looked extremely guilty.

"Are you disgusted with the way I look or something? Or maybe you just have a problem with men!"

Raven looked completely startled, while the young blond girl sitting with her snickered behind the single apple she was eating. He caught something along the lines of, "More like boy…" but chose to ignore her for the time being.

"Look, I'm not-"

"I don't care about your excuses!" he shouted. Her face had returned to the blankness with which he had come to associate her. Why was she so scared of showing emotion?

"You are the Garfield Logan from Science class, correct?"

The other girl sitting with Raven smiled brightly at him and motioned to the seat next to the blond. "It would be most glorious if you were to join us. Friend Raven," Friend? Oh, she was in for it now. "Is doing the mentoring. She is very kind to show us the school."

Mentoring? Oh, god. He felt like an idiot now. Raven hadn't chosen to sit and spend time with these girls. She was being forced to!

He looked around the table and noticed for the first time how strangely the girls were eating. Raven had in front of her a thermos of tea and nothing else. What was she, anorexic? Or maybe she just didn't like lunch. The blond had a reused bottle of water and the one apple she was hiding behind. He took note that she wasn't talking and was making every effort not to look at Raven. Last of all was the strangest. The oddly happy girl was eating… pepperoni pizza from the cafeteria with every sauce and condiment from the table piled on top. Well except mustard. She was drinking that.

"I, uh…" He was starting to rethink his reasons for coming here. His eyes darted to Raven and her thermos of tea. Steam rose from the lid she grasped in her hands, moistening the tip of her nose into an endearing pinkish tone. She was observing him with hard violet eyes, her grey lips pursed in deep thought.

"Sure," he finished lamely. Luckily he had brought his lunch.

Raven's body tensed as he scooted into a seat next to her. It was the only one available, he reasoned.

"I was presently telling Stella and Raven how the class of sciences today was very much like a children's story my K'norfka used to read to me." She smiled pleasantly, allowing her gaze to drift out the window. Something wasn't right. He had to ask.

"Children's stories? You did grade ten science when you were three?"

"Oh no. Not until the age of six did I learn the details of your sciences."

The blond girl, Stella, shook her head. "She's thinking of switching to a more advanced class, but I don't think she'll find anything advanced enough at this school."

Raven snorted softly into her tea. Garfield ignored her.

"At least she can do science. I can't figure any of it out."

Stella agreed. Apparently the English classes where she was from were a lot easier, shorter, and smaller than they were at this school. "We should form a study group," she concluded.

Garfield watched Raven as the words left the blonde's mouth. Her gaze shifted from her tea to the girl across the table from her. Her eyebrow's furrowed, as if some inner struggle were at hand, and then softened, though her hard gaze bore into Stella's skull like a power drill. Stella cast an irritated glare at the girl, and the conflict was over just like that.

"Sounds good to me," said Beast Boy. "I can always use some extra help."

So the decision was made, and Raven was forced, Garfield realised, into interacting with actual people.

He smiled triumphantly.