Heather and Raven

I Asked About Your Wedding, Not Your Funeral

When I wake up, it's to Kate shaking my shoulders. "Jesus, Heather. I thought you were hibernating or something."

For a moment, I'm sure I'm hallucinating. "What are you doing here?"

She rolls her eyes. "Checking up on you, obviously."

Sitting up, I frown. "Why?"

"Because I heard what happened and wanted to make sure you're okay."

"You're worried about... Me?" I ask, still not understanding why she's here.

"Well, yeah." Sighing, she sits down beside me and folds her hands in her lap. "Raven called me last night. Like, in the time it took me to use the bathroom, he managed to send me thirty texts and two missed calls. He was frantic, Heather."

I rub at a sore spot between my neck and shoulder. "Why?"

"Because he got chewed out by both Justin and Maddie, and you weren't answering his texts. So I told him to explain what the fuck happened."

"What did he say?"

"He told me everything. He explained what really happened that morning, and that the whole fake-dating thing was his idea, and I'm kinda pissed at him, but I know he never had any malicious intent. I mean, if he did, I'm pretty sure he would've tried harder to make me jealous."

Surprised, I ask: "You're not angry that I lied to you?"

She shakes her head, her brown curls sliding down her shoulder. "No. You were just keeping Raven's secret. I would've been upset that Raven would try to break me and Drew –and Maddie and Justin– apart, if I hadn't known the truth."

She doesn't immediately continue, so I nudge her shoulder. "Go on."

She pulls one leg beneath her and turns to look at me. "Heather, he never had a crush on me."

"What? But he told me..."

But he didn't. I asked him if he was in love with Kate, and he asked what made me think that. He didn't deny it, so I assumed I was right, but what if I wasn't? What if Raven panicked as hard as I did five minutes after making that assumption?

"Wait, Kate, what are you saying?"

Fondly, she rolls her eyes. "Heather, he's in love with you. Has been for a while, actually."

A lot of things suddenly make sense, like Raven kissing back that fateful morning, as well as the other day –two nights ago, really, but it feels so much longer. And, well, shit. Doesn't that make everything a hell of a lot less complicated.

"Wait, how long have you known this?" I ask, realizing that Kate has that knowing smile playing around her lips.

"A few months. Seeing him pine after you was one of the funniest things I've ever witnessed. You know how we always poke fun at Frodo just wandering off everywhere if he's left alone for two minutes? That was Raven, except he didn't wander off, but wandered after you."

"That sneaky little shit," I mutter.

Kate shrugs. "He saw a chance and he grabbed it. Do you know how hard I laughed when you said he had a crush on Maddison?"

I give her a light shove. "You bitch."

She pretends I pushed her with the strength of the Hulk and dramatically falls to the carpet. "I'm wounded. You wound me, Heather." She pushes herself up on her elbows. "Seriously, though. What are you going to do about it?"

"I'm not gonna do shit. He started this whole thing, so he can go tell Justin and Maddie the truth, and then come apologize to me for being an asshole."