A Child's Reality (BBRae AU)

XI

XI
Confidence
~~~

Halloween was a complete dud. Raven got sick so her only choice was to stay home. She didn't feel like talking to anyone and now she wholly regrets it. All she hears at school is people enthusing about some insane Halloween party where at least twelve people had sex, someone was selling drugs for cheap, and the alcohol was abundant. The person's house got destroyed and the police ended up showing up. While Raven wasn't really interested in having sex, doing drugs, and drinking alcohol, she wanted to have gone to a party with her friends. But no, she was bedridden and had to recover. She tried to bother Kai in the middle of the night because she was bored out of her mind, but she was simply left on delivered until the fourth of November. Not to any fault of his; his parents confiscated his phone because of something he said about his brother. Raven just used it as a reason not to be mad at Kai.

But because of all this, school is basically unbearable. Not only are people pestering her to talk, but people are also pestering her about where she was during that party too.

I hate my life.

She walks through the hall with her bookbag half opened because she's that tired and doesn't care (and is still a little sick). As she passes she watches others laughing and talking in their little cliques. Eventually, she comes across a group of freshman blocking the hallway even though the bell is about to ring for class.

Contrary to popular opinion, Raven's always liked freshman. They aren't usually aware of her reputation at all until some upperclassman "warns" them. They don't ask her questions, they don't look at her funny, while some may be intimidated by the fact that she's almost an adult, most treat her like a normal person without any sort of reputation. That's one of the reasons why she's got so many acquaintances and friends in the school. Every year she attempts to make friends with the freshmen. Except for this year obviously.

However, these freshmen are being a bit of a nuisance. They've put up a wall between her and her AP Physics class (notably being the last class of her day) and she is not in the mood for dealing with people.

"Excuse me." She says no louder than need be. They don't hear her. "'Scuse me." She says again, this time intruding on their little pow-wow in order to show them that she wants to squeeze by.

"Oh, sorry." The boy in front of her says and he shifts forward to let her through.

"Hey! Stop!" A freshman suddenly calls out. She doesn't think anything of it and keeps moving. "Hey!"

A hand comes out of nowhere and grabs at her backpack, pulling it completely open and causing some of her folders to fall to the floor. Raven looks back at the kid annoyedly.

"Crap! I'm sorry!" He immediately bends down to pick up her stuff. When he comes up, Raven gets a decent look at his face and gets an eerie sense of familiarity. "Sorry about that. I was just trying to get your attention."

Raven takes her belongings from him and asks, "Why?"

"You're Raven right?"

She flashes him her perplexed eyes and then nods.

"My brother is Michael Hayes." He starts. "I heard him on the phone last night and it sounded like he and his friends are going to do something bad to you."