Chapter 25:
Raven sighed as she glanced down at her homework. With a frustrated groan she slammed the book shut and walked to the window.
After the whole fiasco Ethan had just given her an unreadale look and walked away. He hadn't shown up in class after that wasn't answering any calls and most surprisingly wasn't even at home when Raven had checked.
It had been three hours since school let out and Raven was getting irritated. She knew she had to talk to him, Ethan was pretty moody unless someone got him out of it.
Where the hell are you Ethan? She thought, we've searched all over for you...
No they hadn't.
Her eyes lit up in recollection. There was one more place left. Grabbing her keys she dashed out of the house.
Ethan glared at the girl who now sat next to him. he'd known she'd show up sooner or later, it was afterall a place she knew about. The place where he'd go to clear his mind.
The place where they first kissed.
Shut up, he told the voice in his head.
"Are you gonna say something?" he heard her ask. He turned to face her and fixed her with the most murderous glare he could muster. She rolled her eyes and gave him an exasperated look.
"Geez Ethan, get over yourself!"
"Get over myself?!" he said increduously, "hello? You were the one who lied to me! I have every right to feel the way I do?"
"I'm not the only one who lied," Raven retorted.
"What?" now he felt confused.
"You didn't tell me about your mother Ethan," Raven said meeting his eyes, "and I had a right to know."
Ethan looked at her for a long time, just held her gaze as most of his anger evapourated into thing air only to be replaced by the uncomfortable feeling of guilt. But before he could say anything Raven continued.
"I know that you're probably feeling crappy about all the the stuff you said to me especially about myself as Raveena and I personally never wanted to keep it a secret from you guys but Rach insisted. The whole thing was her idea and I just went along figuring nobody would get hurt. How the hell was I supposed to know how different things would be now?"
"Raven... um Raveena... um...," he said now confused what to call her..
"Just call me Raven," she said dryly with a slightly amuised glance.
"This whole thing is so badly screwed up," Ethan sighed, "it might make a great tv soap though."
"I doubt it," Raven said making a face, "it might wind up with everyone getting confused."
"Maybe," Ethan mused. The silence stretched until Raven couldn't stand it.
"So what now?"
"Huh?"
Dimwitted frog, Raven thought, "Well," she said aloud, "now everyone knows the truth, you know who I am, I know what you've been hiding... so where do we go from here."
"Dunno," he said after a few minutes of silence, "we'll just have to see I guess."
"You're being really evasive," Raven said peevishly, "you're not making this any easier for me you know."
"You're one to talk," he snorted, "how about the last two weeks?" I was left to myself wondering what exactly I had done wrong after that day in my room. How was I to know that you were her... yourself... oh whatever!"
Raven burst into laughter at his fumbling he glared at her but then grudgingly broke into a grin as the humor of the situation got to him.
Raven felt the tension evapourate and heaved an inward sigh of relief. It hadn't been as bad as she had expected. He seemed to understand. There was only one more thing left to handle. She took a deep breath...
"So," she asked, "any ideas where we go from here?"
"You tell me," he said and it relieved her to see the corner of his mouth turn upward.
"Now since all the mess is over," Raven began carefully, "and that you know that Raveena and I are the same person it would make things a lot easier if a particular situation arose, right?"
"What situation?" Ethan asked puzzled.
"Like... if you asked me out."
Ethan stared at her with a carefully neutral expression. "You want me to ask you out?" he asked.
"Well," Raven dodged, "now that you put it that way..."
"You want me ask you out," he said flatly, it was more of a statement than a question.
"Maybe," Raven said feeling a little nervous at his lack of expression, "you don't have to you know, I mean I completely understand if you don't want to. But..."
"You're rambling," Ethan said, his lips twitching on the edge of a smile.
"Am I," Raven said not noticing his amusement, "I guess I tend to do that. But I didn't mean to be presumptous or anything it's just that..."
Raven was cut off from her rambling as Ethan sealed her mouth shut very effectively.
With a kiss.
A.N: Finally! Only the epilogue left now. Hadn't really meant to keep you guys waiting but about a month went coz I was visiting a friend.
Another month coz I got involved with someone for about two weeks and it ended rather horribly. Whaddya expect? The guy already had a girlfriend and inspite of being fully aware of that I just went ahead. I really should have known better. I pulled out in time though, that is before I did anything stupid. The worst part? It was my first relationship. Life sucks.
The last month was spent moping over my ill luck in the field of romance and waiting for my dad to pay the internet bill.
So here I am and I'm really sorry. I hope to get the next chapter up soon.
For all those who think Raven is a mary sue I apologize. She probably is but please keep in mind that I really didn't give much thought into detailing my characters. I have repeatedly mentioned that I made this plot up in five minutes and I mean that literally, the details came as I typed the story. Maybe if I had more time it might have been different. But then agan no one's forcing you to read this story so if you don't like it just go read something else. There are people out there who like it just the way it is so let them read and enjoy.
Winter's Shadow.