Raven

Chapter 16 - The Flash

The three of us walk back through the breezy autumn day and separate as we near my house. Amanda decides to head back to Lucas and Ezra, allowing Aidan and I to race into our home. I unlock the door and run at the heels of Aidan until we are out of breath, in his room. He pulls out a DS, plopping down on his blue bean bag while I sit on his bed.

I forcibly pull out my phone to text Raven, afraid of our meeting and if she will ever talk to me again. I don't even understand what I did wrong in the first place, but I do understand that I crossed the line with my words and need to apologize. That's what friends do.

Luna: r we still meeting at the movie?

I wait a moment for her reply, allowing myself to fall back onto the mattress and stare at those taunting three dots, signaling her reply.

Raven: i think so

Luna: ok

I let my arms fall against the bed dramatically and a sigh to escape my lips. How am I going to fix this, whatever this is. I turn my head to glance at the clock, 12:41 PM.

Luna: what time should we meet

Raven: idk

Luna: 1:15?

Raven: sure

I hardly have enough time to sort myself out and find myself wishing to have time powers like Raven does. It would make everything so much easier. After staring at Aidan's ceiling for fifteen minutes, I finally manage to drag myself off of the bed and into the bathroom to get ready.

My hair is matted from the morning atmosphere, plus the ponytail that it was trapped in for the first half of the day. I decide to comb it out and find a straightening iron to somehow contain the mess. I leave the hair down, without any sort of style, and find myself staring into the mirror and disliking what I see.

To somehow satisfy my perfectionist needs, I tie the loose bottom of my t-shirt into a knot, so that the shirt is tight and comforting against my skin. Then I wrap my hair into a messy bun without any effort and it surprisingly turns out well. I skip from the bathroom and grab a blue and brown bag from the corner of my room, speeding down the stairs, only to be caught by Aidan who is now in the living room.

"Where are you going?" He asks curiously.

"Uh," I consider telling him the truth, "I'm-I'm going to meet up with someone."

"Let me guess, with Raven?" He smiles to himself as I gape at his conclusion.

"Uh-well, I-it's not," I find myself stuttering as my cheeks flush with embarrassment. How does everyone know about this concept except me?

He simply laughs and says, "Go, you don't want to be late."

I smile a warm and grateful smile at him and pocket the keys laying on the counter. "Be good, don't destroy the house!" I shout as I leave our home, locking the door behind me.

The slight wind lets a few strands of hair fly from my face before I hop down the steps and jog around the house. My white bike is parked out back next to Aidan's blue one, both leaning against a rotting wooden fence. I swing my leg over the bike and start to pedal away from the house, towards town. The air whips around me as I continue to push forward, causing the white fabric of my shirt to fly back against my slightly tanned skin, exposing it. I start to forget all of my problems, letting the wind take them away, maybe drowning them in a nearby beach. I soon find myself parked outside of the theatre, a glowing sign for the Justice League movie shining above the main entryway. I lock my bike in the small bike rack outside before making my way into the building. As soon as I open the door, the sweet scent of fresh popcorn and other scrumptious delights wafts into my nose, filling me with a warm, homely feel. I look around the small red carpeted area and smile slightly when I see Raven in her usual black jeans and hoodie. I should take her shopping sometime, I note. I walk up to her hesitantly, causing her to look up into my eyes, but immediately shifting her gaze to her feet again.