semi-break down? Why had it even irritated her that Justin and the rest of his brain dead
preps had teased her? They, including Lance, were no strangers to the Anti-Raven club so
why wasn't she expecting it?
<I knew it. I knew from the moment Lance started hanging around me something was up.
And now that I've let myself hang around him more, I'm starting to think we're...ugh,
friends are something!> Raven disgustedly thought.
But despite this newly found realization, she still couldn't come up with a reason why she
thought Lance would stick up for her, why it bothered her when he hadn't or why she was
crying or why all of a sudden, her heart was violently fluttering at the site of his piercing
gaze.
It was very odd to think that the tables had turned; Lance now was the one with the nasty,
sarcastic comebacks and Raven was the one overcome with surprise and too clueless on
how to answer.
She covered up her inner feelings with a mask of annoyance and frustration.
"You're a freakin asshole, you know that?" Raven snapped, shoving her hair out of her
face and tucking it behind her ears.
Lance laughed.
"Ah, so the Queen of Sarcasm doesn't have a comeback! I've struck a nerve, haven't I?
Which usually means A, you're hiding something or B, you're seriously thrown off by my
response..but considering the situation, I'm putting my faith on choice A. I wish I had a
camera right now cause this is truly a Kodak moment", Lance teased.
"Ugh, have you been staying up late and watching reruns of Dawson's Creek again? I'm
sorry to ruin your diagnosis Dr., but neither of those wild guesses are right. Besides, even
if I was hiding something, you'd be the last person on my list that I'd even consider
telling!" Raven exclaimed.
"Ok, so I guess you found your invisible black rain cloud because you've finally stopped
acting like a normal, high school girl that was just humiliated by her rival group. But
seriously, enlighten me. Why are you giving me a verbal ass-kicking if we're not friends?
Shouldn't only the people that matter have some kind of effect on you?" Lance demanded,
his smirk still present.
Raven rolled her eyes.
"Stop grinning like that damn Cheshire cat and maybe I'll explain", Raven answered.
"I'm sorry, I can't help it. I just find it highly interesting that that outer shell of yours has
finally cracked", Lance honestly replied.
"For your information smart ass, my outer shell hasn't cracked. Ok, so maybe I was a little
effected by Justin's comments but that's my fault. I should have expected people like you
and your friends to judge people by first impressions...this time, I just forgot. And that's
the price I have to pay when I assumed that for once, you'd look past my outer image and
stick up for me", Raven explained, her voice sharp enough to cut through steel.
Lance was silent for a few minutes, his smirk vanished.
<Ugh, I am such an idiot! He's probably trying to hold back his laughter or worse..he feels
sorry for me. Why does he have to be so easy to talk to? It's like whenever I'm with him, I
have to put a hundred and ten percent into not opening up to him....>
"Look, I'm really sorry about Justin and although I can't change what he thinks, I want you
to know that I don't agree with them on what they say about you. When I'm with you, I
forget about all that popularity shit and that's one of the things I lo- really like about you. I
mean, if my friends could see what I see in you, they'd love you", Lance sincerely replied.
Raven gazed at Lance in absolute shock, her dark eyes as large as two full moons. He had
to be joking, hadn't he? She remained mute, waiting for the sound of his laughter to send
her crashing back into reality. But no, the laughter never came, nor a sneer. His face was
completely serious and anticipating her response. She could also sense that he was
rethinking on whether or not he should have said what he had said earlier.
"I....really? You really mean that?" Raven questioned.
He nodded.
"Yeah, I really do."
Raven gave him a half smile and before she could stop herself, she slid closer to him and
wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. Lance encircled his arms
around her waist. Her chin rested against his shoulder, the scent of his cologne tickling her
nose. She ignored the hammering of her heart in her chest and whispered: "Thanks."
A few seconds later, she regretfully pulled away, a renewed sparkle in her eye and stood
up.
"Well, I'd better be going. Allison must think we ran off to Mexico or something by now",
Raven joked. Lance stood up also, a genuine smile on his face.
"Yeah, same here. I have to go meet Amber", Lance replied. Raven made a fake gagging
motion and to her surprise, he laughed.
"I'll see you tomorrow, in school", Lance called over his shoulder as he started heading
towards The Shack.
"Yeah, whatever", Raven called back, a smile forming on her face. Then, she stopped and
spun around, the smile turning into a grin.
"Lance, wait!"
Lance stopped and turned around, a puzzled expression on his face.
"What?"
"Just to let ya know, if you tell anyone about anything that just happened, don't expect to
be playing football for the next fifty years."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
You come over unannounced
dressed up like your somethin else
where you are and where it's at you see
you're makin me
laugh out when you strike your pose take off
all your preppy clothes
you know your not foolin anyone
when you've become
Somebody else round everyone else
Watchin your back like you can't relax
trying to be cool you look like a fool to me
Tell me
Why you have to go and make things so complicated
I see the way your acting like your somebody else gets me frustrated
Lifes like this you
You fall and you crawl and you break and you take what you get and you turn it into
honestly promise me I'm never gonna find you fakin
no no no
-'Complicated' By Avril Lavigne
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