Loving Raven

2. Meeting Raven Biles

That February morning started out as every other morning, minus the fact that it was the day after Valentine's Day. The remnants of the atrocious holiday scattered across the tile floors, drowning them in shades of pink and red. The thought of the day had always made me want to hurl, I guess I could thank my mother for that terrific quality. In my opinion, I saw Valentine's Day as a way for the average teenage male to shower his choice in meat at the time. This being their one-way ticket to getting in a quick lay. I had my distaste for females, but it wasn't like I had complete disrespect for the opposite sex. I just wasn't one of those males that portrayed themselves as a 'hopeless romantic.' I had my relationships, some I rather enjoyed, but I only did just enough to pacify the females I would choose to start seeing.

"I just can't believe you Cullen," my, at the time, girlfriend Marcy Dawson began violently tossing her textbooks and notebooks into her locker, "Valentine's Day is supposed to be about love and affection, making a girl feel noticed and wanted. Look all around you, look at my friends! Sappy love cards, rose bouquets, chocolate covered strawberries, and huge teddy bears! I wanted that from you, but what did I get in return? A cheap card that your mother probably picked out at a Dollar Store of some sort, and a cheap ass box of chocolates that taste almost outdate." She went on and on in her little tyrant, a tantrum I had been listening to since the night before.

This was the type of reaction I expected out of Marcy, a self-entitled head cheerleader who fit that description to an absolute perfection. She carried herself with absolute poise and had an attitude that would fit someone who had a stick up their ass all year round. She was overly confident and cocky. She ran the school as if it were her own personal monarchy. She had platinum blonde hair, always perfectly straightened, and kept herself evenly tanned and toned despite the change in seasons. She drove a high-end silver Lexus to school and came with her own set of 'minions' as I would like to call them, these being the three girls who followed Marcy around as if she were a dog in heat. This lifestyle was made completely possible with the aid of year-round salon and gym memberships, and a very wealthy daddy with a credit card.

I leaned against the locker beside Marcy's and watched her books being abused by the slamming they were receiving as they were being put into her locker, "Marcy I warned you when we first got together, I'm not a very romantic person. I don't see the point in showering you with a ridiculous amount of gifts, or the need to show you unnecessary affection. Affection that you receive every single day as it is. Why would I do more than what I am already doing?"

"It's not that you're not doing it Cullen," she rolled her eyes as she slammed her locker door, "It's the fact that I'm the head cheerleader. I'm supposed to be showered with gifts and respected by people, including my boyfriend. I could have had any guy at this school, any guy. I could have had the star quarter back if I wanted him, but out of everyone in this place I saw you. I wanted you and I chose you. All I ask is that you make me feel wanted and like I'm worth something to you."

"The quarter back, you mean Jack?" I asked her shrugging my shoulders unamused by her attempt at belittling me, "Let's get something straight babe, don't remind me about the cheerleader thing every thirty minutes. I know you're a cheerleader, and at the rate you've repeated yourself I think the whole world knows you're a cheerleader. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, believe me it's not, but you're letting it get to your head Marcy." I watched the look on her face turn from anger to absolute dismay, she had never met someone who had the nerve to stand up to her. I was beaming at the thought of being that someone, it was time to put the little 'princess' in her place.

"Cullen I could have any guy in this school," she repeated, "Any guy at all. Do you think you're irreplaceable? I asked you to do one simple thing, be a guy for once. You sit in the corner of the classroom, you're an absolute loner minus the one friend you do have. The only thing that separates you from other guys in this school is you're a hard-ass that looks really good in a pair of semi-tight jeans. I fell for that."