Author's Notes: Okay, this is an AU fic in which the Titans are all just
normal high school kids. There will be Robin X Beast Boy slash, so if you
oppose, RUN. Don't flame me 'cause I don't give a shit. If you have any
other form of comment, R&R!
Disclaimer: ...Heh, I wish.
What You Need By Margarita Neko
Chapter 1: New Kid/Monday
I miss him.
Seriously, how fucked up is that? He was obnoxious, always getting into trouble, a bit of a wimp, and hell, I only knew him for a week. One week, during which I faced more hell-on-earth than in all sixteen years of my life put together. I should hate him. I should hope that he dies on his way to wherever he's going. Hell, I should wish he'd never been born in the first place. But...
God, I really can't live without him.
It's weird how stuff like this works out. A week ago, I was the guy every girl was after, the guy every guy wanted to be. Now... Social outcast. All his fault, of course. But somehow, when I think of him, those eyes that sparkled with such love for life, those gentle hands that had held so many lives tightly, that sweet little laugh... All I wanted was for him to be back here with me.
Because I'd fallen in love with him.
Me, Robin Grayson, in love with another guy. A damn irritating one, too. I wanted to forget him. I wanted to hate him. But trying to do so hurt like hell.
So instead, I'm waiting for him. It's been a month since he left, and I don't even know if he's still alive at this point, but I'm going to keep hoping, because at this point hope is all I've got left.
Gar... Please, hurry up and come back to me.
~*Three months prior*~
It had begun as just another Monday: Annoying and tiring, but necessary. I'd just gotten out of fencing club, one of the three classes that I took after school, the other two being karate and yoga. Yes, that's right: Yoga. I could bend myself into five different kinds of pretzel.
So anyway, I'd just gotten out of class, and I was sitting out front of the school, waiting for my two best friends, Cy and Raven, to get out of football practice and swimming, respectively. Cy was this big guy, the quarterback of the football team, but he was also a total techie. Loved making gadgets and junk. And he had the coolest name for a techie, too: Cy Borg. I wonder sometimes if his parents had planned it like that. Unfortunately, he was kind of worried about what other people would think of him if they found out that he was such a nerd when it came to electronics and stuff, so the entire thing was just between the three of us.
Anyways, Raven was the girl of the group, but she'd be likely to punch your lights out if you called her a girl-under *any* circumstances. She was our tomboy and goth, wicked angsty, and athletic like the rest of us. She used to take track, in addition to swimming, until she'd grown breasts. After discovering that they were uncomfortable to run with, and that binding them made it hard to breath, she'd grudgingly dropped it to focus on swimming. She also liked arts, and wrote some awesome bloody poetry.
So, I was just sitting there waiting for them, when I heard some yelling from somewhere to my right, in the parking lot. Standing up from the bench, I peered over in the general direction of the sound.
"C'mon, man, lemme see!"
I recognized that kid. He was this shrimpy little brat, called Gizmo because he was such a prodigy when it came to machines. He was even more of a techie than Cy. He had this kid that I'd never seen before (this kind of disturbed me; the popular kids were supposed to know everyone) backed in against a car. The other kid-a short, skinny boy with brown hair, streaked a dark forest green in a few places, and green eyes that were so vibrant I could tell their color even from my post about 10 yards away-was holding a small box-like a shoebox-protectively in his arms. I guessed that the box was what Gizmo was after.
The other boy just shook his head, looking slightly frightened, but defiant. Of course, he really had nothing to be frightened about quite yet. The real trouble would begin if and when Gizmo's friends turned up: A massive wrestler called Mammoth, and a goth girl with some killer martial arts moves called Jinx. They were a deadly combination.
"Dude, why the hell not?" Gizmo exclaimed, exasperated. "Is it really so good that you hafta keep it secret? Or is it just illegal? C'mon, man, spill! I won't tell! Drugs? Weapons?"
The other boy's eyes widened at the mention of illegal substances, as if he'd never heard of such an awful thing before, and he stuttered out a no. Gizmo, however, must have mistaken his shock for guilt, because he grinned evilly and grabbed onto the box and tried to tug it away.
"Stop it!" the green-eyed boy demanded, yanking the box away sharply with strength that his tiny frame should not have even had. Gizmo, obviously not expecting that, lost balance and toppled to the ground.
Now, I would have cheered for him. I always liked to see that little brat getting what he deserved. Unfortunately, the other boy had picked a really awful time to show any sort of physical strength, as wrestling practice and philosophy club had apparently just let out.
"Gizmo!"
Jinx, being much faster than that lumbering jerk Mammoth, was by Gizmo's side in a second, playing the big sister and checking him over for any sign of being hurt. Immediately, the brat started bawling his eyes out, screaming about how the other kid had been taunting him with that box, but when he'd asked-very *nicely*, of course-to see what was inside he'd been pushed down. By the time he'd finished his little spiel, Mammoth had caught up to Jinx, and the kid with the box looked about ready to piss himself.
The second that Mammoth arrived, he was staring down the box kid with that sort of look on his face that screamed, "When I'm done with you, they won't find enough remains to fill that little shoebox." That's the thing about Mammoth-He can't talk very well, and his vocabulary is pretty much limited to "I'll have a cheeseburger with fries, hold the onions," but he could synthesize some really eloquent threats just by the way he looked at someone.
He grabbed Box Kid by the collar and growled. The kid was really terrified at this point, but he still somehow managed to hold onto his box, albeit with trembling hands.
"So, you think it's funny to pick on kids just because they're smaller than you?" Mammoth growled with a cruel grin. I found that funny, considering that the box kid was probably small enough to fit his entire body into one of Mammoth's shoes. But then again, the big lug was always contradicting himself. I also found it funny that, somehow, both he and Jinx had managed to miss the triumphant smirk that Gizmo had shot at the other boy once Mammoth arrived. Obviously, the box kid was *not* the one who found this situation entertaining.
The box kid raised an eyebrow, and that defiant look sparked in his eyes. "That must be it," he said sarcastically. "Because I've got just the perfect stature to be intimidating people. Dude, I've seen *kindergarteners* taller than me!"
I briefly wondered where he got the guts to say something like that, but then Jinx piped into the conversation.
"So, you finally found someone who was smaller than you, and you decided to see what it was like to play the bully," she said through clenched teeth. "Great plan, asshole. I guess you weren't counting on him having *friends*, God forbid. And now you even have the nerve to lie about it!"
I raised my eyebrow at what she'd said. Somehow, it seemed hard to think of them as friends. They seemed more like... I don't know, siblings. People who were stuck together, but just chose to make the best of it. But friends... They just didn't really seem that capable of friendship.
"That's not it!" the smaller boy wailed, but before he could defend himself any more, Mammoth had him gripped around the throat, cutting off his air supply with a muffled whimper.
I figured that it was about time I stepped in. I had this policy of non- interference unless the situation got really bad, but... This kid looked like he would snap in half if you poked him hard enough. He couldn't stand a Mammoth-beating.
I strode up into the parking lot, unnoticed by the trio or their captive. Now, I had mentioned before that he was skinny, but once I got close enough, I saw that this wasn't exactly true: He wasn't skinny, he was practically *emaciated*. He probably didn't have an ounce of fat on him, and any muscles he had were really lean and barely noticeable.
"Let him go," I demanded. The three of them turned to me, and the box boy craned his neck to try and see me around Mammoth's bulk.
"We're just teaching him a lesson, Mr. Truth-and-Justice," Jinx told me chidingly. "He was picking on Gizmo. He needs to be punished. It's our problem, not yours, so scram!"
I rolled my eyes. Well, if they thought of me as "Mr. Truth-and-Justice, I might as well go for that role. "Two wrongs don't make a right," I told them, even though I knew that there had been no original wrong. "Just let him go. He knows not to mess with you again, right?"
They all looked at him, waiting for an answer. Now, I had just given him the perfect out. He could just say, "Of course, never again!" and get out scot-free. Any person with an ounce of common sense would have done it.
"But I didn't do anything!"
...And then there was him.
I groaned inwardly as Mammoth raised a fist in rage, and leapt forward to stop the blow. I grabbed his fist and held it back, and, in his surprise, he dropped the box boy into a crumpled heap on the ground, the box hitting the cement beside him. Immediately, he snatched up the box and held it close to him, searching it carefully for signs of external damage. I figured there must have been something fragile inside.
However, I didn't have time to ponder over this. Within a second of realizing what had happened, Mammoth gave a mighty roar and threw me off to the side. I skidded a little, but managed to land on my feet. I glared up at him angrily.
"I'm not going to let you hurt him!" I yelled. I didn't even bother trying to explain that no, he hadn't done anything wrong. It wouldn't have sunk in.
Mammoth snorted. "You and what army?" he asked menacingly.
"Well..." came a voice from the direction of the school, and I found myself sighing in relief. Cy, just out of football practice. "We may not exactly be an army, but we can sure as hell handle you assholes."
Raven was with him, still in her black swimsuit, but she had a blue towel draped over her shoulders like a cape. Her short hair, dyed deep purple, was still wet, but partially hidden under this silly black bucket-style hat that she always wore. It shadowed over her eyes, and gave her this really mysterious, deadly look. Her glare managed to freeze Mammoth for a moment, but he recovered in a second. After all, he couldn't let it get out that he'd been intimidated by a *girl*.
"Them's fighting words," he growled out, but Cy just grinned.
"Yeah, I guess they are!" he said with a bit of giddiness in his voice. "That's good. I need the workout. Practice was too easy today."
Mammoth blanched a little at that. It was extremely well known just how strenuous Coach Mason's practices were, and here was Cy talking about them like he'd just gotten back from prancing through a field of daisies.
Once again, however, pride got the better of the big lug, and with an enraged roar, he threw himself at Cy, who merely stepped aside and let him tumble to the ground.
"Well, that was productive," he said sarcastically. However, Mammoth was back on his feet in a second, and then the real fight began.
I really couldn't tell what was happening. It was all just a blur of fists and feet and, at one point, *teeth* as Mammoth resorted to some very savage, primitive tactics. Raven was hovering on the edge of the battle, ready to jump in at any second if necessary, and Jinx and Gizmo were cheering loudly for their friend (God, it feels weird describing him as that) from their place kneeling on the concrete. As for me, I just watched, sure that I was forgetting something, but unable to pinpoint what it was.
"Everybody, SHUT UP!"
Ah, yes. The little hellion that had instigated all of this.
I turned to him, glaring at him through my sunglasses (which were really super-cool, by the way; I hardly ever took them off), all ready to yell and scream about how he'd started all of this in the first place. But what I saw froze the words in my throat. The box was lying open on the ground in front of him, and inside, nestled amongst the folds of cloth, were three bird's eggs-all crushed.
But here's what really got to me: There were tears in his eyes. He hadn't shed a single tear when he'd been so terrified earlier, or when Mammoth had his hand around his throat, threatening to crush that delicate little windpipe. And here he was, looking all sad and dejected over a few birds. I guess that was when it began. The first time I'd looked at him as more than just a little pest that was, and would for the rest of the week as well, causing me all sorts of trouble.
"Aw, man!" Gizmo exclaimed huffily. "It was just a bunch of dumb bird's eggs? All that over nothing... Let's get out of here guys."
Jinx agreed readily, and together they managed to haul Mammoth (who wanted to "finish it" with Cy, even though he was totally getting his ass kicked) away. That left just the four of us.
After a few moments of silence, Cy lost it. "Dude, I just got into a fight over some *broken bird's eggs?!* What the hell is up with that?!" he demanded at the other boy loudly. He was poking around at the remains, this really depressing, sullen look on his face.
"I... I just wanted to save them," he explained softly. "Their mother died... So I decided to take care of them... That kid... He seemed like the type who'd smash them if I showed them to him, and I didn't want to risk that, so I didn't let him see them... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drag you into this."
Cy had opened his mouth again, probably to argue some more, but thankfully, Raven saw this and whacked him upside the head to shut him up. Apparently, she saw the sadness of this situation, as well.
I walked over to the boy and knelt beside him, ready to give my condolences and help him up or whatever, when a tiny chirping sound caught our attention.
Hope filled his eyes, pushing out the sadness and tears as he reached down into the box. His pale hands moved of the folds of white fabric aside, revealing a tiny, perfect, and unbelievably cute bird. It looked up at him, then over to me, and chirped again.
Joy and relief flooded his face as he saw the tiny creature, and I found myself happy for him. He squealed in delight, and picked up the little bird gently. It looked up at him with big eyes and held open its mouth. He laughed and hopped to his feet.
"Well, I've got to go!" he said cheerfully, this dopey sort of grin on his face. "I think he's hungry. I'll see you guys later!"
And then, he ran off, and was gone. No "Thank you for saving my ass," or anything of the sort. Just... Gone.
There was an awkward moment of silence. Then...
"Okay, what the *hell* was that?!"
Raven tossed this annoyed look at Cy. "That was the new kid. He's in my English class. His name is Garfield Logan, I think."
"Yeah, well, dude needs to learn some *manners*," Cy grumbled.
I just stared off in the direction he'd left. There was... Something about him that I couldn't place, and it was annoying the living hell out of me.
He'd said "I'll see you guys later." And he'd seemed pretty confident that he would. I chose to ignore that, but somehow, it just kept rising up in the back of my mind.
"Let's go home," I found myself calling as I walked away, casting one last look in the direction that this Garfield had left.
I'd see him again.
I knew that.
But I didn't have to want it.
~*End Chapter One*~
Disclaimer: ...Heh, I wish.
What You Need By Margarita Neko
Chapter 1: New Kid/Monday
I miss him.
Seriously, how fucked up is that? He was obnoxious, always getting into trouble, a bit of a wimp, and hell, I only knew him for a week. One week, during which I faced more hell-on-earth than in all sixteen years of my life put together. I should hate him. I should hope that he dies on his way to wherever he's going. Hell, I should wish he'd never been born in the first place. But...
God, I really can't live without him.
It's weird how stuff like this works out. A week ago, I was the guy every girl was after, the guy every guy wanted to be. Now... Social outcast. All his fault, of course. But somehow, when I think of him, those eyes that sparkled with such love for life, those gentle hands that had held so many lives tightly, that sweet little laugh... All I wanted was for him to be back here with me.
Because I'd fallen in love with him.
Me, Robin Grayson, in love with another guy. A damn irritating one, too. I wanted to forget him. I wanted to hate him. But trying to do so hurt like hell.
So instead, I'm waiting for him. It's been a month since he left, and I don't even know if he's still alive at this point, but I'm going to keep hoping, because at this point hope is all I've got left.
Gar... Please, hurry up and come back to me.
~*Three months prior*~
It had begun as just another Monday: Annoying and tiring, but necessary. I'd just gotten out of fencing club, one of the three classes that I took after school, the other two being karate and yoga. Yes, that's right: Yoga. I could bend myself into five different kinds of pretzel.
So anyway, I'd just gotten out of class, and I was sitting out front of the school, waiting for my two best friends, Cy and Raven, to get out of football practice and swimming, respectively. Cy was this big guy, the quarterback of the football team, but he was also a total techie. Loved making gadgets and junk. And he had the coolest name for a techie, too: Cy Borg. I wonder sometimes if his parents had planned it like that. Unfortunately, he was kind of worried about what other people would think of him if they found out that he was such a nerd when it came to electronics and stuff, so the entire thing was just between the three of us.
Anyways, Raven was the girl of the group, but she'd be likely to punch your lights out if you called her a girl-under *any* circumstances. She was our tomboy and goth, wicked angsty, and athletic like the rest of us. She used to take track, in addition to swimming, until she'd grown breasts. After discovering that they were uncomfortable to run with, and that binding them made it hard to breath, she'd grudgingly dropped it to focus on swimming. She also liked arts, and wrote some awesome bloody poetry.
So, I was just sitting there waiting for them, when I heard some yelling from somewhere to my right, in the parking lot. Standing up from the bench, I peered over in the general direction of the sound.
"C'mon, man, lemme see!"
I recognized that kid. He was this shrimpy little brat, called Gizmo because he was such a prodigy when it came to machines. He was even more of a techie than Cy. He had this kid that I'd never seen before (this kind of disturbed me; the popular kids were supposed to know everyone) backed in against a car. The other kid-a short, skinny boy with brown hair, streaked a dark forest green in a few places, and green eyes that were so vibrant I could tell their color even from my post about 10 yards away-was holding a small box-like a shoebox-protectively in his arms. I guessed that the box was what Gizmo was after.
The other boy just shook his head, looking slightly frightened, but defiant. Of course, he really had nothing to be frightened about quite yet. The real trouble would begin if and when Gizmo's friends turned up: A massive wrestler called Mammoth, and a goth girl with some killer martial arts moves called Jinx. They were a deadly combination.
"Dude, why the hell not?" Gizmo exclaimed, exasperated. "Is it really so good that you hafta keep it secret? Or is it just illegal? C'mon, man, spill! I won't tell! Drugs? Weapons?"
The other boy's eyes widened at the mention of illegal substances, as if he'd never heard of such an awful thing before, and he stuttered out a no. Gizmo, however, must have mistaken his shock for guilt, because he grinned evilly and grabbed onto the box and tried to tug it away.
"Stop it!" the green-eyed boy demanded, yanking the box away sharply with strength that his tiny frame should not have even had. Gizmo, obviously not expecting that, lost balance and toppled to the ground.
Now, I would have cheered for him. I always liked to see that little brat getting what he deserved. Unfortunately, the other boy had picked a really awful time to show any sort of physical strength, as wrestling practice and philosophy club had apparently just let out.
"Gizmo!"
Jinx, being much faster than that lumbering jerk Mammoth, was by Gizmo's side in a second, playing the big sister and checking him over for any sign of being hurt. Immediately, the brat started bawling his eyes out, screaming about how the other kid had been taunting him with that box, but when he'd asked-very *nicely*, of course-to see what was inside he'd been pushed down. By the time he'd finished his little spiel, Mammoth had caught up to Jinx, and the kid with the box looked about ready to piss himself.
The second that Mammoth arrived, he was staring down the box kid with that sort of look on his face that screamed, "When I'm done with you, they won't find enough remains to fill that little shoebox." That's the thing about Mammoth-He can't talk very well, and his vocabulary is pretty much limited to "I'll have a cheeseburger with fries, hold the onions," but he could synthesize some really eloquent threats just by the way he looked at someone.
He grabbed Box Kid by the collar and growled. The kid was really terrified at this point, but he still somehow managed to hold onto his box, albeit with trembling hands.
"So, you think it's funny to pick on kids just because they're smaller than you?" Mammoth growled with a cruel grin. I found that funny, considering that the box kid was probably small enough to fit his entire body into one of Mammoth's shoes. But then again, the big lug was always contradicting himself. I also found it funny that, somehow, both he and Jinx had managed to miss the triumphant smirk that Gizmo had shot at the other boy once Mammoth arrived. Obviously, the box kid was *not* the one who found this situation entertaining.
The box kid raised an eyebrow, and that defiant look sparked in his eyes. "That must be it," he said sarcastically. "Because I've got just the perfect stature to be intimidating people. Dude, I've seen *kindergarteners* taller than me!"
I briefly wondered where he got the guts to say something like that, but then Jinx piped into the conversation.
"So, you finally found someone who was smaller than you, and you decided to see what it was like to play the bully," she said through clenched teeth. "Great plan, asshole. I guess you weren't counting on him having *friends*, God forbid. And now you even have the nerve to lie about it!"
I raised my eyebrow at what she'd said. Somehow, it seemed hard to think of them as friends. They seemed more like... I don't know, siblings. People who were stuck together, but just chose to make the best of it. But friends... They just didn't really seem that capable of friendship.
"That's not it!" the smaller boy wailed, but before he could defend himself any more, Mammoth had him gripped around the throat, cutting off his air supply with a muffled whimper.
I figured that it was about time I stepped in. I had this policy of non- interference unless the situation got really bad, but... This kid looked like he would snap in half if you poked him hard enough. He couldn't stand a Mammoth-beating.
I strode up into the parking lot, unnoticed by the trio or their captive. Now, I had mentioned before that he was skinny, but once I got close enough, I saw that this wasn't exactly true: He wasn't skinny, he was practically *emaciated*. He probably didn't have an ounce of fat on him, and any muscles he had were really lean and barely noticeable.
"Let him go," I demanded. The three of them turned to me, and the box boy craned his neck to try and see me around Mammoth's bulk.
"We're just teaching him a lesson, Mr. Truth-and-Justice," Jinx told me chidingly. "He was picking on Gizmo. He needs to be punished. It's our problem, not yours, so scram!"
I rolled my eyes. Well, if they thought of me as "Mr. Truth-and-Justice, I might as well go for that role. "Two wrongs don't make a right," I told them, even though I knew that there had been no original wrong. "Just let him go. He knows not to mess with you again, right?"
They all looked at him, waiting for an answer. Now, I had just given him the perfect out. He could just say, "Of course, never again!" and get out scot-free. Any person with an ounce of common sense would have done it.
"But I didn't do anything!"
...And then there was him.
I groaned inwardly as Mammoth raised a fist in rage, and leapt forward to stop the blow. I grabbed his fist and held it back, and, in his surprise, he dropped the box boy into a crumpled heap on the ground, the box hitting the cement beside him. Immediately, he snatched up the box and held it close to him, searching it carefully for signs of external damage. I figured there must have been something fragile inside.
However, I didn't have time to ponder over this. Within a second of realizing what had happened, Mammoth gave a mighty roar and threw me off to the side. I skidded a little, but managed to land on my feet. I glared up at him angrily.
"I'm not going to let you hurt him!" I yelled. I didn't even bother trying to explain that no, he hadn't done anything wrong. It wouldn't have sunk in.
Mammoth snorted. "You and what army?" he asked menacingly.
"Well..." came a voice from the direction of the school, and I found myself sighing in relief. Cy, just out of football practice. "We may not exactly be an army, but we can sure as hell handle you assholes."
Raven was with him, still in her black swimsuit, but she had a blue towel draped over her shoulders like a cape. Her short hair, dyed deep purple, was still wet, but partially hidden under this silly black bucket-style hat that she always wore. It shadowed over her eyes, and gave her this really mysterious, deadly look. Her glare managed to freeze Mammoth for a moment, but he recovered in a second. After all, he couldn't let it get out that he'd been intimidated by a *girl*.
"Them's fighting words," he growled out, but Cy just grinned.
"Yeah, I guess they are!" he said with a bit of giddiness in his voice. "That's good. I need the workout. Practice was too easy today."
Mammoth blanched a little at that. It was extremely well known just how strenuous Coach Mason's practices were, and here was Cy talking about them like he'd just gotten back from prancing through a field of daisies.
Once again, however, pride got the better of the big lug, and with an enraged roar, he threw himself at Cy, who merely stepped aside and let him tumble to the ground.
"Well, that was productive," he said sarcastically. However, Mammoth was back on his feet in a second, and then the real fight began.
I really couldn't tell what was happening. It was all just a blur of fists and feet and, at one point, *teeth* as Mammoth resorted to some very savage, primitive tactics. Raven was hovering on the edge of the battle, ready to jump in at any second if necessary, and Jinx and Gizmo were cheering loudly for their friend (God, it feels weird describing him as that) from their place kneeling on the concrete. As for me, I just watched, sure that I was forgetting something, but unable to pinpoint what it was.
"Everybody, SHUT UP!"
Ah, yes. The little hellion that had instigated all of this.
I turned to him, glaring at him through my sunglasses (which were really super-cool, by the way; I hardly ever took them off), all ready to yell and scream about how he'd started all of this in the first place. But what I saw froze the words in my throat. The box was lying open on the ground in front of him, and inside, nestled amongst the folds of cloth, were three bird's eggs-all crushed.
But here's what really got to me: There were tears in his eyes. He hadn't shed a single tear when he'd been so terrified earlier, or when Mammoth had his hand around his throat, threatening to crush that delicate little windpipe. And here he was, looking all sad and dejected over a few birds. I guess that was when it began. The first time I'd looked at him as more than just a little pest that was, and would for the rest of the week as well, causing me all sorts of trouble.
"Aw, man!" Gizmo exclaimed huffily. "It was just a bunch of dumb bird's eggs? All that over nothing... Let's get out of here guys."
Jinx agreed readily, and together they managed to haul Mammoth (who wanted to "finish it" with Cy, even though he was totally getting his ass kicked) away. That left just the four of us.
After a few moments of silence, Cy lost it. "Dude, I just got into a fight over some *broken bird's eggs?!* What the hell is up with that?!" he demanded at the other boy loudly. He was poking around at the remains, this really depressing, sullen look on his face.
"I... I just wanted to save them," he explained softly. "Their mother died... So I decided to take care of them... That kid... He seemed like the type who'd smash them if I showed them to him, and I didn't want to risk that, so I didn't let him see them... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drag you into this."
Cy had opened his mouth again, probably to argue some more, but thankfully, Raven saw this and whacked him upside the head to shut him up. Apparently, she saw the sadness of this situation, as well.
I walked over to the boy and knelt beside him, ready to give my condolences and help him up or whatever, when a tiny chirping sound caught our attention.
Hope filled his eyes, pushing out the sadness and tears as he reached down into the box. His pale hands moved of the folds of white fabric aside, revealing a tiny, perfect, and unbelievably cute bird. It looked up at him, then over to me, and chirped again.
Joy and relief flooded his face as he saw the tiny creature, and I found myself happy for him. He squealed in delight, and picked up the little bird gently. It looked up at him with big eyes and held open its mouth. He laughed and hopped to his feet.
"Well, I've got to go!" he said cheerfully, this dopey sort of grin on his face. "I think he's hungry. I'll see you guys later!"
And then, he ran off, and was gone. No "Thank you for saving my ass," or anything of the sort. Just... Gone.
There was an awkward moment of silence. Then...
"Okay, what the *hell* was that?!"
Raven tossed this annoyed look at Cy. "That was the new kid. He's in my English class. His name is Garfield Logan, I think."
"Yeah, well, dude needs to learn some *manners*," Cy grumbled.
I just stared off in the direction he'd left. There was... Something about him that I couldn't place, and it was annoying the living hell out of me.
He'd said "I'll see you guys later." And he'd seemed pretty confident that he would. I chose to ignore that, but somehow, it just kept rising up in the back of my mind.
"Let's go home," I found myself calling as I walked away, casting one last look in the direction that this Garfield had left.
I'd see him again.
I knew that.
But I didn't have to want it.
~*End Chapter One*~