Here's this month's chapter. :) I hope you enjoy it as a plot twist should be coming up real soon.
I do not own Teen Titans.
Chapter 5 (Nightmares and Daydreams)
Despite how hard Raven tried to ignore the laughter outside, the fact that Gar and Kori were having such a good time made her blood boil. She couldn't read, she couldn't meditate and she couldn't even enjoy her dinner without the feeling of bitter jealousy. Why couldn't she and Gar be that close? He had always been a stable part of her life since she met him. He cared about her and always asked how she was doing. Heck, he could be downright flirtatious sometimes...but it was always her stupid fear that kept her back.
Maybe...maybe he had finally given up on her. Maybe he had moved on to have feelings for Kori. Kori was a good person, one of her most trustworthy friends and if anything, she should be glad that the two of them were so happy. Kori wouldn't be a backstabber like that annoying blond he had dated last year and Gar would no longer feel the need to bother her with his endless amount of jokes and questions. This was supposed to be what she wanted...so why wasn't she happy?
Scowling with irritation, Raven closed the living room curtain in a huff and began turning on the lights. The lamps gave a comforting glow against the growing darkness that was beginning to settle upon the neighborhood. The nights always seemed to sneak up on her whenever the season turned warm.
As she began her evening ritual of getting the house ready for the night, Raven mused about how ironic this situation was. The fact that she had become so paranoid about any unlocked doors and the fact that all the lights had to be on, proved how much she had changed in the last couple of years. Once upon a time she had liked the mysteriousness of the night and all the beautiful stars that shone in the sky above. Once upon a time she would have taken walks alone in the neighborhood after the sun had gone down, just to breathe in the evening air. But despite all her wishing, once upon a time was over. Now she could only wait patiently for the dawn's light to return.
By the time Raven had turned on the last light, Kori had come in from the outside with Silky right at her heals. The little white dog yapped happily and Kori giggled. "My sweet little pup you are just so smart! Maybe tomorrow I will teach you how to play fetch! Or maybe we can go for a walk and visit Gar! Oh, I'm so glad he brought you to me. You are the best dog in the whole world!"
"You sure are in a good mood tonight." Raven remarked as she came over. "Gar's not bothering you is he?"
Kori looked confused by this. "Bothering me? How so? He was merely being kind and showing me this wonderful trick that Silky knows. Did you know Gar has been looking after my sweet little pup since he was only a week old? Poor thing was found in a drainage ditch, apparently abandoned by his mother. When he arrived at the shelter, Gar took it upon himself to nurse Silky with a bottle. You're so lucky that Gar's your neighbor! He speaks so highly of you too!"
Raven blushed. "He's been talking about me?"
"Yes, because he really likes you. Please tell me Raven, do you like him back?" Kori asked curiously.
"I...I well..." Raven stuttered. "It's kind of complicated Kori but I don't hate him if that's what you're asking."
Kori watched how nervous Raven was and decided to change the subject. She would try not to press the issue because no matter how much she asked, Kori knew Raven would only admit her feelings when she was good and ready. "Would you like to see the trick that Gar had already taught Silky? You went back inside before you had a chance to see it."
"Um...sure, I guess. What's the trick?" Raven asked. She looked at Kori suspiciously but her friend just smiled innocently.
"Now watch carefully...see? He rolls over every time I have a treat in my hand!" Kori held out a dog biscuit and almost immediately the little dog rolled on his back, starring at Kori with begging eyes. He yapped impatiently till Kori threw the dog biscuit down. Within seconds the puppy devoured his treat and soon began licking Kori's hands enthusiastically. The red haired woman laughed happily and ushered Raven over.
"Come here Raven! See if he'll do it for you. I promise he is a good dog." Kori urged.
Raven glanced down at the hairy, slobbery mess and gave Kori a doubtful look, but she did as she was told. She held a dog treat up and said in a bored voice "Roll over."
Just like the first time, Silky rolled over enthusiastically and waited impatiently for his treat. Raven rolled her eyes and tossed the treat down but she could not help but smile as the dog chomped down on the biscuit. For a few seconds she reached down and petted him softly. "I guess he is kind of cute..." she murmured under her breath and Kori beamed happily.
The girls played with Silky for awhile but eventually Kori became bored of her game. She started wandering around the house and exploring the various rooms. Most doors were locked do to being unused but there were others that were used as storage and had all sorts of books inside. There were scrolls written in Sanskrit buried in one trunk and on top of them, a single pressed rose stood strikingly red against the dull brown of the paper.
"Raven? I've been curious...why do you have such a big house if you hardly use any of it?" Kori wondered.
She looked at another trunk, this one holding old photo-albums with various pictures inside. There were a few from her childhood but mostly there were pictures from high school. Some were ripped in half but a majority of them showed her, Raven and Victor posing for the camera. Kori smiled as she held up her favorite one, the picture of them in freshmen year when they had first arrived. Raven looked bored but Victor and Kori were jabbering excitedly about something. Apparently it was a candid shot, by the school newspaper.
"I got this house because it seemed the most...intimidating I suppose." Raven mused. "It was also relatively cheap considering the shape it was in when I first came here. When you make such a quick decision to move, there are not many options available. I just took the first one that looked moderately acceptable and well...here I am."
"Yes, when you left it was quite sudden but I still don't get why you were so secretive about it. Why did you only tell me and Victor where you were going? Surely it wouldn't have been so bad if others knew. I mean what about Kole Weathers or maybe Karen Beecher? They were so nice and quite upset when you moved away after graduation." Kori asked. She pointed to a picture of some of their former classmates but Raven merely looked away.
Raven put the pictures back in the trunk and shut it hard. "It does not matter anymore. That past is in the past. Now I'm going to bed. Do you want me to get some more blankets for you and Silky to sleep on? You'll still have do make do with the couch I'm afraid."
Kori smiled sadly. "It's alright Raven, I do not mind. Oh and thanks for letting me look around. I hope I haven't been too much trouble."
Raven nodded her head and smiled reassuringly. "Good night Kori."
Without waiting for a reply, Raven went into her room and shut the door. Her eyes were heavy and she longed for sleep, but she could not help but think about what Kori had said. Her friend wondered why she had moved but would Kori really be willing to listen to the answer? The girl was too optimistic and trusting and it would only cloud her judgment. If anything, Kori might just end up blaming her for lack of social skills. Sometimes it was better for the truth to remain hidden.
Sleep did not come easily. She tossed and turned but for some reason she could not get comfortable. Finally around two am, her eyes closed and she fell into a restless sleep.
Shadows seemed to follow her as Raven ran from room to room trying to break free of the monster that was following her. Angry roars were muffled through the door and his fists pounded hard against the wood that guarded her small sanctuary. "Come back here Rachel! You were the one who put me in that hell hole of a prison. After rotting there for weeks, I finally get out only to find that you still treat me like dirt! I'm your boyfriend, you should be grateful I even pay attention to you. Now come back here you lying piece of scum and give me what I want!" Raven closed her eyes and whispered. "Leave me alone...please." Tears fell down her face as the sound of cracking wood and broken glass echoed in her eardrum. "Never again." She whispered to herself sadly. "Never again."
"Never again..." Raven mumbled as she sat up with a start. As she groggily looked around her room, Raven recognized the sound of broken glass and Silky's insistent barking brought her to her feet instantly. Kori was yelling out a long echoing wail that seemed to rattle the house as Raven ran into the living room. The window from which she had been looking out only hours before had a huge gaping hole in it and glass was scattered all along the floor. A large rock had been thrown and lay amongst the broken glass shards. Not too far in the distance, a fancy black car drove off with a loud zoom.