If They Only Knew...

Chapter 12- Valeria

We ended up in a corner of the ballroom, chattering away, intermixing flirting with getting to know each other. Celestina and her friends looked on approvingly, but kept their distance, not wanting to interrupt our private time together.

"... And that's when I said, 'You, bucko, are the Gryfindor. I am a Ravenclaw!'" She recalled humorously.

I chuckled, my stomach and face hurting from laughing so much, my head landing on her shoulder in the process, which wasn't even that hard considering she was taller than me.

She blushed, looking down at me tenderly, as though I would break if she wasn't careful. I looked back up at her, equally as blushy and flustered.

We gazed into each other's eyes for a moment, neither one of us daring inch closer, lest we kiss.

Finally, she breaks away from my gaze, clearing her throat before asking, "Hey, do you want to- like- go for a walk- in the hallway, maybe?"

She looked at me softly, leaving me unable to say no, and I nodded.

She led me out of the ballroom, never taking my hand, not until we were in the safety of the shadows and the empty hallway.

After making sure no one was around, she took my hand and we ran all the way down the hall, giggling the whole way, before stopping right outside the door to what appeared to be an inner garden.

Cautiously, we proceeded.

After making sure the doors didn't lock after we entered, we went and sat on one of the stone benches in a space surrounded by tulips and a little stone path leading up to it. We continued to talk, as we had before, though this time more openly, with no one to eavesdrop or make us uncomfortable.

"So, what brings you to this college specifically?" She asked conversationally.

"Well, it was the nearest and cheapest in the area... Which certainly helps... And because I got accepted... You?"

"Scholarship." She looked down, then back up at me.

"Oh." I shifted uneasily, looking for a change of subject. Being homeschooled gave me little opportunities for such things and I wanted to talk about what we had in common. "What's your major?" I raised an eyebrow. This question could really tell you a lot about a person. What their passions were. Their goals.

"I'm in Education," she replied casually and I looked her head-on. Thinking I was confused, she elaborated. "I want to be a teacher." I blinked at her, trying to deduce if she was joking or not. "What?" She raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"It's just- I want to be a teacher too." I blushed.

She burst into a smile. "Seriously? Oh my God, that's amazing! That means we could be in the same classes! Well, some of them... What's your name?"

"Uh..." I stuttered, my face slowly turning red.

"Are you nervous?" She asked, eyes tender. I nodded. "That's okay, I can tell you my name."

Then she proceeded to take off her mask and wig.

Underneath were the same brown eyes, but her hair was different.

A shock of black to cerulean curls in the middle with shaved sides. And her face seemed... Familiar...

She noticed me staring and looked down at the ground, composing herself before saying, "The wig goes better with my dress than my natural hair. Since I'm supposed to be a crow. Ironically, that's very similar to my name. Raven."

That name seemed eerily familiar...

"Raven who?" I questioned, starting to feel weirdly nervous.

She blinked at me before proceeding. "Raven Green."

And at that exact moment, I remembered where I remembered that name.

Raven Green had been the same name as one of my friends back in elementary school. And that wasn't a very common combination of names, so that had to be the same Raven, right?

Had to be, I recognized that face. And those eyes.

What if she had already figured out who I was? What if she already knew everything about me? What if she knew I was Luis from elementary, and she told everyone? What if-

[Ring... Ring...]

"Oh, let me get that." I picked up my phone, pulling it out of my boot on the second ring, my hands a bit sweaty. "Hello?... Hola, Mamá. ... ¿Are you here?... Ok. Yeah. ... Por favor, no quiero salir." I looked up at Raven, but she didn't appear to be listening. Good, she doesn't speak Spanish. Still, I whispered slightly, just in case. "Hay una chica muy guapa- Okay... Bye..."

I turned off the phone, turning to Raven. "Uh... I have to go, sorry. Bye!"

And with that, I tried to make an attempt at the door, fearing Raven had already figured out too much.

She called out to me, but that didn't stop me from leaving, with the rest of my siblings trailing behind.

Sorry to end the chapter in suspense, but I had to! What'll happen to Valeria? Will Raven figure out her secret? Will Valeria ever tell her?

Oh, & if you're wondering what Valeria was saying (if you don't speak Spanish):

Hola, Mamá= Hi, Mom

Por favor, no quiero salir= Please, I don't want to leave

Hay una chica muy guapa= There's a very hot/attractive girl [lol]

In case you were wondering :D