A Child's Promise (BBRae AU) [COMPLETED]

XXII

XXII
J
~~~

"Hey, Rae." The voice all too clearly male. It was just as smooth and velvety as she remembered it, with a hint of confidence and a smidge of an inflated ego.

It rang through her ears bouncing off the walls of her brain. There was no way that this was who she thought it was. No way in hell. It was impossible!

"Jackson?" She turns to look at him. He was still the tall black boy with the shaggy black hair she remembered.

"You don't seem very happy to see me..."

"Because I know you're not real."

"Jeez that's a bit offensive."

"Why are you bothering me here? Now?" She questions. "What's the reason this time?" There's a bit of bitterness in her words, lined with remorse and guilt.

"Why do you think I'm here?" He answers her with a question, just as she always does.

"To guilt trip me again..."

"Raven you know that I don't blame you for what happened. It wasn't your fault."

"And you know that I don't believe you. You're not Jackson. You're just my own brain torturing me..."

"For the thousandth time Raven I'm not from your head." He pokes her nose, causing her to flinch and blink a few times. "I'm real, Raven."

"Sure ok. And I'm Santa Claus." Jackson groans and dives his head into his hand. "And don't poke my nose." She demands.

"Aww why? Your nose is cute. I can't help but poke it." He says patronizingly.

"Because only my boyfriend does that. And you're not my boyfriend." She replies. Hearing this brings a frown to his previously happy face, which only brought Raven more guilt. She bites her lip and looks back out at the water.

"I wanted that first Raven..." he mutters.

"See, guilt tripping." She brings her knees up to her chest and props herself up with her hands behind her. "And he's not my first anyway."

Even more disappointment filled Jackson's big, dark, chocolatey brown eyes. She refused to look at them.

"Can you please go?" She asks coldly.

"No I think I'll stay here."

"Please?" She asks again.

"Nope."

Raven tries to slide away from him, but every time she did he'd slide right back next to her.

"So about this boyfriend," he begins.

"Before you ask whatever you're going to ask, I suggest you tread carefully."

"Noted." He thinks for a second, likely editing whatever he plans to ask. "So do you plan to tell him?"

"About?"

"You know exactly what about Raven. C'mon now." He answers with slight disappointment.

"Ugh. No. And he won't know. He'd never look at me the same way ever again if he knew."