A Child's Reality (BBRae AU)

XVIII

XVIII
A Big Plastic Ball
~~~

Raven's stomach knots when both boys arrive at the same time. Her plan is already starting to fail. Of course, it's just her luck that the two get to the trampoline park at the same time.

"Welp, here we go," Dick says. Indeed, here it comes.

The two see each other from across the lot and exchange eyes of ultimate confusion and anger. Like they just checked their tests and the answer was "E: All of the Above" when they could've sworn that there was only A, B, C, and D.

"What the–?!" Their heads, as if they are both connected to one switch, snap to Raven simultaneously and they belt out, "RAVEN!!" in a pseudo rage, only being hindered by their preceding confusion.

Raven seems to have a glaring red reticle smack dab in the middle of her forehead as the two slam their car doors shut and beeline towards her. She feels as if a wall of air just tried to knock her over once they come to a stop. For some reason, she feels extremely tiny whilst standing inside Kai and Gar's similarly shaped shadows.

"You said that he wasn't gonna be here!!" they both exclaim. "Hey! I was talking!" Again.

"Shut the hell up!" Kai breaks the discordant harmony they have with a simple perfect note. "Raven–"

"Are you two really that dumb?" she questions naturally, both her eyes closed as she centers herself. Considering she hasn't said much all day during school since she was off in space (or perhaps a different universe entirely) basically the whole time, this was an interesting way for her to begin to counter their enmity, "I'm trying to get you guys to stop arguing." she continues after opening her eyes.

"Like a trampoline park is gonna do that." Gar criticizes, skepticism filling his voice to the absolute brim.

"It already did do something," she claims. The two examine her face looking notably doubtful. She's very relaxed today. Nothing seemed to bother her throughout the school day. Neither of them were there, but they heard from other people that Raven had actually slapped a freshman when he not only called her a "bitchy, entitled senior" but felt the need to make useless snide comments about her purple hair, which ironically is hardly even purple anymore. She never would've dared to even touch a freshman should it have been a few weeks ago. Unbeknownst to Kai and Gar, she had tutored him a few years ago and had used that against him saying that maybe if he had spent more time doing his homework rather than sleeping with girls he would be able to be on the same academic level as this "bitchy, entitled senior" that he used to love so much, completely outing and embarrassing him in front of anyone near enough to hear her voice which recently has begun growing in natural volume.

It's quite pleasing to the two of them — Kai especially — to see Raven's confidence growing, even if it does make her a little snippy, this Raven is much more ideal. At least in the eyes of her friends and family.

"What?" Kai asks.

"Well, did you guys immediately start fighting when you got here?"

"Yeah," Kai states.

"Wrong," she contradicts with all the composure and grace of her mother, "You started yelling at me first. See? It did do something." she claims with hidden triumph, "If it takes you guys yelling at me rather than each other then I'll take it. I really don't care at this point."