To Make Team Work

7. To Friendship

One uneventful Saturday afternoon, Raven and Rose decided to sit in the garage and watch Victor work on his car. Raven occupied an empty work bench while Rose straddled a chair. "Justice League boring you, Vic?" Rose asked as the two girls watched Victor work. "You've been visiting every week for the past 3 months."

"Naw, I just missed y'all," he said, giving the two girls an easy smile as he opened the hood of his car. Raven returned his smile. Though she was happy to see the man she considered an older brother, she remained silent while he and Rose chatted. She had so much on her mind. Most of her thoughts revolved around the object of her newfound crush...Tim. Lately, they hadn't been getting along.

Tim occupied about 50% of her thoughts. The other half of her thoughts were centered around her father. Raven didn't really understand what was going on, but somedays it felt like Trigon was literally whispering in her ear. It really creeped her out. Not only that, but the Church of Blood and acolytes of Trigon had invaded her dreams everyday this last week. Some nights it felt like she was reliving Arella's experience the night she herself was conceived.

Speaking of dreams, Connor would show up like some kind of wraith. Raven wasn't sure why she was dreaming of Connor. He was dead. He had been for the past year. Why she was having precognitive dreams that centered around him – she wished somebody would tell her. As it was, those dreams were the crux of her and Tim's rift. It was a long story. Raven had tried to get Tim to listen, but they ended up fighting instead. He then accused her of being jealous. Raven scoffed to herself. She was not jealous.... okay maybe she was a little jealous of him and Cassie's relationship, but that wasn't the reason she confronted by Tim. He was just so...stubborn. Arrogant, pig-headed, oafish - "And what about you, dark girl?" Victor asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Hmm?" Raven asked. She had not been paying attention at all.

"How have you been holdin' up now that grass stain is in another relationship?"

Raven shrugged before answering. "Honestly, it really doesn't bother me. I'm fine. It helps that she's nice. So..." Raven ended with a shrug.

"I never asked what happened to you two. You were together for two years. Why'd you break up? Was it his fault? What'd he do?" Victor asked, looking at Raven before rolling underneath his car. "Do I need to go whoop his ass?"

Raven shook her head with a laugh. "This...this really was on me," she said.

"Naw," Victor said. "It's definitely the grass stain's fault." Raven released a mournful laugh. "Got your eye on anyone new?" Victor asked from beneath his car.

Raven felt her face heat up as she said, "No." "She does," Rose said at the same time.

"Shush!" Raven said, horror and embarrassment flooded her cheeks.

"Who!" Victor demanded, pushing himself out from underneath the car.

"Tim-Tim," Rose sung as Raven threw a nail at her in embarrassment.

"Red Robin? Really?" Victor looked at Raven quizzically. "Him? I mean...he's a better catch than Grass Stain, but from what I've observed these past few weeks, you two don't get along. You two don't even like being in the same room with each other."

"But they used to get along really well," Rose said as she dodged a hammer thrown by Raven's powers. Rose only laughed. "They used to have early morning meetings, late night chats; Raven used to sleep in his bed," Rose batted her eyes.

"You slept with Tim!" Victor shot to his feet.

"It wasn't like that!" Raven argued and glared at Rose. "Only on nights when I had nightmares. We only slept next to each other." Raven emphasized the word next. Victor hmphed as he laid back down and resumed his car repairs. "But, like you said Vic, we haven't been getting along these past few months. Four months to be exact," Raven said, as her face fell.