Just tell me why you're here and who you are*
The bell rang for lunch and each student scrambled for the door, like today was the last
day there would be food on the entire world.
"Hey, Rave! Where are you going?" Alicia called from down the hall. Raven kept walking
towards the entrance doors but answered her friend.
"It's a long story! But to give you some clues, it involves Lance", she shouted over her
shoulder. Alicia grinned and started towards the cafeteria without another word.
Raven quickly walked to the far right side of the front of the school, her heart beating
wildly, her head a little dizzy. What if he wasn't there? What if it had been just another
joke? She finally found him, leaning against the wall; cool, calm and collected. Her breath
caught in her throat and it became more difficult to make her way over to him, her legs
about to give out from under her any second. He looked up, catching her gaze and gave
her a half smile. She managed to take a deep breath and on her wobbly legs, walked over
to him.
*I recognize the way you make me feel
It's hard to think that you might not be real*
She stood a few inches in front of him, only adding more reason to barf up the apple she
had eaten for breakfast. He was wearing a pair of dark Abercrombie and Fitch jeans and a
forest green T-shirt that had PROPERTY OF AMERICAN EAGLE scrawled across the
front in white letters, the dark green color making his light green eyes hypnotizing,
capturing her in a spell of their own. Despite the way he kept gnawing on his bottom lip,
due to nervousness, it seemed as though he was ready and unhesitant to say whatever he
felt needed to be said.
"Uh, so why did you do that?" Raven curiously asked as soon as she found her voice
again. He chuckled.
"What do you mean?"
"Stop playing dumb, your girlfriend is better at it than you are. You know perfectly well
what I mean; the whole flower display in my locker, the poem and the car keys", Raven
impatiently answered.
He ran a hand through his messy locks.
"Oh that. Well....I know you're probably going to think I'm lying but I wanted to." He
searched her blank eyes for the response she was holding back. She sighed.
"But why? You hate me; people who hate each other just don't go around leaving surprise
gifts for them...unless it makes a ticking noise." He laughed again and shook his head.
"You just don't get it, do you?" he asked in disbelief.
"Get what?" Raven questioned with annoyance.
"That I don't hate you....actually, I never did", Lance explained.
"Ok, will you please step out of that alternative universe you've wandered into? How can
you say you've never hated me when for the past four years you and your friends have
done everything to point out how much better you all are than the rest of us?" Raven
snapped.
She was beginning to feel angry; angry with the way he made her usually witty and
sarcastic comebacks vanish, the way every time she looked at him he turned her legs to
jello and insides to mush and most of all, the way he appeared so damn good every time he
caused all this.
"I never hated you. It was just so odd yet at the same time amazing to see someone as
beautiful and smart as you to not be..a-a..sheep. It was like a breath of fresh air, you
know? I never said I enjoyed having everyone fall at my feet. In fact, I hate it. You never
know who's really your friend because of the person you really are, or because of the
person everyone sees on the outside. But you see past everyone's outer image and that
scared me because beyond the Popular Jock I have to live up to, I don't really know who I
am. And you know exactly who you are and I was and am jealous of that", Lance
confessed.
Raven stared at him, speechless. It was so weird to see and hear him confess all of this to
her. She had to still be dreaming. She surreptitiously pinched her arm and winced.
[Nope. I'm not dreaming but if only I were], she thought.
"And I know that you're thinking this is a huge lie too; but the truth is, I like you. I like
you a lot", Lance quietly added after a long pause. Raven stepped back, her senses
paralyzed. The only thing she could managed to do was gap at him in shock while the only
thing she wanted to do was take off running and then look back.
[But isn't this what you wanted? Once you realized you liked him, you secretly, all along
wanted him to like too, didn't you? And now that your wish has come true, you wish you
had never asked for it.]
"But..why?" she demanded, her voice not above a whisper.
He laughed lightly.
"Why? I don't really have an explanation for that. But I like you a lot Raven, whether or
not you want to believe it", he replied with an almost sad smile.
Raven rubbed her temples, a headache starting to form.
"I can't...we can't..I can't like you!" she exclaimed. She barely noticed that he was starting
to advance towards her.
He gave her a sly grin.
"So you do like me?" he stated more than a question. Raven shook her head.
"That's not the point", she replied, dancing around the subject.
"Then what is?" Lance challenged. He was now less than five centimeters away from her.
She gazed into his eyes, totally forgetting what she was going to say. Her jello legs were
frozen in place, her heart pounding in her ears. His cologne tickled her nose and she closed
her eyes for a moment, trying to regain control.
"The point is, we're too different to ever make anything work. Besides, I'm not your type."
"Where's your usual sassy remark? Am I making you nervous?" Lance teased. Raven gave
a feeble shake of her head.
[What in all things Holy is going on with me? I can't even say freakin two words without
wanting to hurl all over myself], Raven silently scolded herself.
He titled his head to the side a little, never breaking his gaze. He ran a finger down the
length of the starting of her uncovered arm. She shivered.
"Now?" he curiously questioned.
"No", she hoarsely lied.
*And when I touch your hand
It's then I understand
The beauty that's within*
He wrapped his arms around her waist, closing any space between them. His lips were
hovering in front of her's; aching to kiss her. They both were silent. The rest of the world
had faded into the background, about to crash down any minute. He inched closer, so
close the very tips of their noses were touching but not their lips.
"How bout now?" Her breaths shortened to quick struggles for air.
"No."
"Then I guess I have no choice but to take drastic measures", he teasingly whispered.
Raven's heart stopped in mid-beat. She knew what that meant; the 'big kiss'. She didn't
answer but stared up at him with the expression of a lost, frightened child. He closed his
eyes and leaned his head down. Finally, after what seemed like a million centuries, his lips
met her's, sending the whole world, which was dangling by a thin string, to come crashing
down. She closed her eyes, drinking in the moment, feeling as though she was soaring
above the clouds. His lips parted, signaling the start of a new kiss and to both of their
surprise, she didn't pull away but instead, kissed him back.
And that's when she knew; she knew that at that exact moment in time, she had finally let
herself truly fall for the person she least would have picked, Lance Bass.
*And when I close my eyes it's you I see
You're everything I know that makes me believe
I'm not alone*
Little did she know, the roller coaster ride had just begun.
*~*~*~*~*
-Credits to Michelle Branch for bits n pieces of 'Everywhere'
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