Stuck in Time

CHAPTER 20: The First Night

CHAPTER 20: THE FIRST NIGHT

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Beast boy had went alone. He needed time alone … to think, and to be away from the group for a while.

Yes, it even surprised himself, he was thinking and hard too. Raven just wasn’t herself these days, and he was determined to find out why. People just be nice to you and then shun you like you’re a disgusting bug the next day.

In fact, he found it all a little too suspicious.

But really, it also shocked him to take so much interest in Raven all of a sudden. He remembered how they first met, both tried to ignore and avoid each other as much as possible. Yet now, things seemed different. Raven was a close friend now, and should anything happen to her, he’d willingly help get her back to safety.

Only, he wasn’t sure if Raven was in danger. He sincerely hoped not. Then, he realised he should have sneakily followed her to that shop. Now that he thought about it, she was spending way too much time with the old woman. Could the old woman have said something that made Raven hate him?

Or did he do something wrong to upset her?

Beast boy groaned, thinking was hard. Only people like Raven, Robin or Cyborg can do it well. He was just hopeless at it.

Tugging on his black and white suit, he looked around the ballroom. It was huge, with high ceilings. The walls and ceiling was painted in bright gold. The floor however, was smooth, clear, marble. There were huge, long windows at the side and hanging on the walls, were red cloths with a gold trimming. On it, was the crest of the kingdom. Also at the side, were a few couches for tired dancers to sit on.

The ceiling had two gigantic chandeliers and at the side of the room, were long tables filled with refreshments and small tidbits. The front of the room was a raised platform with gold stairs carpeted in red velvet. On the platform, were two thrones, evidently for the King and Queen. Right above the thrones, was a balcony, over looking the whole ballroom.

Beast boy had arrived here early, so the place was almost empty except for about six men and five women roaming aimlessly about. Beast boy wasn’t hungry and so he just stood in a corner, closed his eyes and waited.

The next time he opened them, he was surprised to see the ballroom fill up so quickly. It had so much more people here now, and many of them were making small talk. Glancing at the clock at the back of the room, above the huge doors, he saw that it was almost eight. The Titans should be here any moment.

After five minutes, a steady stream of people were strolling in. Adjusting his mask, Beast boy strained his neck to try and spot out the Titans. He didn’t see them at first, but when he saw a red-haired girl, smiling widely and linking arms with a blushing spiky-haired boy, who was grinning from ear to ear too, it couldn’t have been more obvious who those people were. Then, right behind them was Cyborg, his face not only hidden by the mask, but by the hat too.

Beast boy remembered then, what he was supposed to do: Act as a lookout. Well, that shouldn’t be too hard, it didn’t really take long for him to spot his friends in that crowd of people, who hard can one suspicious-looking assassin wielding a weapon be?

Looking around however, it was hard. The ballroom was getting noisier and noisier, and all the elaborate, fancy gowns and suits with all that colours made him slightly dizzy.

That’s when he noticed that Raven wasn’t around. But it was already five minutes past eight, was she going to be late? Had the old woman kidnapped her? Beast boy shook her head, no, that was just ridiculous. He did worry too much sometimes, but he couldn’t help it with an over-imaginative mind.