Alright, here we go again. Chapter two. I thank everyone who has been reading so far, and I hope you enjoy this new installment. I'll admit, though: at around 750 words, it's dinky. But stuff happens, things come up, and between the time it starts and the time it ends, the relationship between the characters has developed, even if only slightly, so I'd like to think I'm not shortchanging the few of you who are following along at this point. And besides, with the first chapter posted less than a week ago, nobody can complain about a long wait for the update, right?
-Blister
Chapter 2:
"Are you almost ready?"
"Uh…"
"Well are you?"
"Honestly? Not really."
Beast Boy is out in the hallway, waiting for Raven, who has returned to her room to get dressed. At first, he had been standing, but as the minutes passed, he came to lean against the wall by her door. Gradually, he slid further and further down and now he is sitting on the floor. He suppresses an impatient groan.
"What's taking so long?"
"I can't find anything to wear."
"You're not just gonna wear your cloak?"
"Not if you're not wearing your… whatever you call that thing."
"Alright. But hurry up, okay?"
"Don't rush me."
"I'm not rushing you…"
"You told me to hurry up."
"I asked you to hurry up. I asked you."
"Oh… I guess that's true."
"Yeah."
"Well then, I'm telling you no."
"Ugh…"
"Don't groan at me either. I don't like to be groaned at."
"I didn't groan!"
"Yeah, you definitely did groan."
"Okay, maybe I did groan. I'm sorry I groaned, Raven."
"Thank you."
Quietly, Beast Boy groans again, and rolls his eyes as well. At the same time though, he is glad to put up with Raven, and happy that she's doing the same with him. Truthfully, he could wait out here forever as long as she kept talking to him.
On the other side of the door, Raven has gathered up all of her few bits of normal clothing into a heap atop her bed. The sight is frustrating and discouraging: the clothes all seem lifeless and devoid of potential, and they fail to fascinate her. She struggles to imagine some combination of garments that would not only make her look presentable, but also make her look good. She wants to look good. But these clothes are as incomprehensible to her as a foreign alphabet. She worries now that years of capes and hoods have left her with a stunted fashion sense. But she knows she has to wear something.
"What happened to the sweatpants?" Beast Boy asks.
"What happened to them?"
"Yeah. Why can't you just wear those?"
"Because they're my workout pants. They're not fit to be worn in public."
"What if I wore mine too?"
"Why would you?"
"Well… maybe I was thinking we could go to a gym."
"Oh God, we're not, are we?"
"No. But hypothetically."
"Good. Hypothetically then… still, no. I'd change into them there."
"Ooh, that's pretty smart. You're smart, Raven."
"Shut up, Beast Boy."
"Anyway, I didn't know you had clothes besides your cloaks and sweats and stuff."
"Well guess what, I do."
"Why?"
"Because I buy them."
Beast Boy nods thoughtfully to himself. "Why?" he asks again.
"Because a girl needs more then workout clothes and work clothes."
"So then why can't you find anything to wear?"
Raven sighs. "Because I'm terrible at picking out clothes for myself."
"Oh, that can't be true."
"Oh, yes it can."
"Then just put a cloak on. I'll go change into my… whatever the hell that thing is called."
"No. I'm sick of cloaks."
"So then, what, do we just hang around here forever?"
"No."
"Are you sure? Cuz that's what we seem to be doing."
"Yes, I'm sure, because I'm about to come out." Raven sticks her head through the collar of the shirt she has selected, then slips her arms into the sleeves.
"Oh, good, you picked something?"
"Yeah. But I'm warning you, Beast Boy: no jokes. Do you understand?"
"Sure. No problem."
"I'm serious. Do you promise me?"
"I promise."
"Just… act like you don't even notice, okay?"
"Okay. I'll act like I don't even notice."
"Okay."
"Alright."
But when the door opens, Beast Boy does notice. He stands up slowly. "Raven…" he says.
"What? Oh, god damn it Beast Boy, I told you not to…"
"No, Raven, I mean, don't take this the wrong way, but…"
So he's still going to be like this, Raven thinks. Even after that simpering, pathetic apology, he's still the same goofy, insincere, insensitive idiot he's always been. "I should have known better," she says as she begins to retreat back into her room once again.
"I mean you look good," Beast boy says quickly.
"What?"
"I said… you look good. Really good."
"Oh." She lowers her head briefly, taking a quick look at her gray turtleneck, short black skirt and black boots, and decides maybe she does look pretty good. A moment ago, she thought she looked like an attention-starved librarian. "Thanks," she says.
"Yeah."
"So where are we going?"
"Uh, I don't really know, like I said…"
"Okay, well, should we just go then?"
"Yeah, let's just go."
"Okay."
"Great."
…So until next time, thanks for reading.
Oh, and I know I mentioned doing a light revision of the first chapter: I still plan to, but there's a very real possibility that I'm full of shit, so I hope you don't hold that against me.
-Blister