Chapter 8
Raven walked faster as she could. She looked at her right as she saw the secretary. Raven was still on her way when she heard her name. That makes her stop and turn to face an old lady. She looked tired maybe because she tried to reach the door before the brunette was far away. Raven smiled and frowned.
She didn't know if it was a good thing being called by the secretary lady.
"There's something for you"
Raven stepped in looking around. The place wasn't different. When the requests of the students arrive the place usually turn into a mess with boxes everywhere.
"Here, someone here really cares for you"
The woman gave her a box with a smile. Raven looked at her confused and opened. Her smile went wide.
Ah Santa Claus.
Quickly she made the calculation in her head. It was less than a week, that never happened before. If she works on her project tonight she could end by tomorrow morning and still have hours before her assignment's expiration. She thanked the woman, but today, different from the first day that her part arrived, she left with the whole box. She pays attention on her way to class, walking with caution. Guaranteed the part would stay in one piece. That made her get a few minutes late but the teachers always ignored her delays because of her leg, at least there's something good about it. She had learned in the rehab group to always see the bright side, it took a while but now she could-ish, she was trying not to fall on the other side though. The teacher had already started the class so she cautiously put the box down and started taking some notes.
Lunch hour came by and she thought about leaving her part but she was afraid it could break again somehow. Maybe she was a bit paranoiac. So she made her way to the cafeteria and found her friends already sitting at a table.
"What's that?" Clarke asked. Raven didn't see Octavia that was weird. The girl always was the first to run when food was involved.
"That mon ami is my salvation" her other friends turned to her with confused looks. "My part arrived" Raven said simply. And their faces changed.
"That was quick" Clarke said between chews. Raven just smiled widely.
The days passed by fast. As Raven thought, she finished her project in a blink, it was amazing, definitely she would get the highest grade, she knew it.
Soon, It was English class again and she found herself excited for talking to her pair. Anxiously glaring at the door waiting for her new friend to pass through. They had met by Arkadia with the rest of the group a few nights ago and now she could say they're friends. Nothing big had happened, just the feeling of starting a friendship, they all played pool and drank while they talked about silly things.The usual that happens at a bar-not-really-a-bar.
Arkadia was just an establishment near Polis High where everyone met to hangout, meet their friends or crushes after school, there's a feel table games such as ping pong, pool and table soccer, they could drink, eat foods and have fun.
And she definitely had.
Even if Octavia sat on a far table with Niylah to finish their first challenge most part of the night, and Clarke had played table games with Lexa over and over again, leaving her with the grounders, Lexa's friends group. Luna made sure she had a great evening. She talked with her and her friends all night competing in every silly game there. She learned that Anya and Gaia were super funny and crazy and the boys were super competitive.
She learned Luna's new hidden talent when they won the pool against Lincoln and Roan. The boys' ego crush was so huge they proposed an individual competition and who lost would have to do anything they asked.
So they did.
First, between the boys, Lincoln won the match against Roan and he payed having to kiss his crush, they argued but he had to pay it anyway, making Anya very surprised when he walked out to her, who were talking to Gaia a few meters away, and kissed her, as well as all his friends who weren't paying attention to their little contest.
It was when Luna regretted having accepted the boys' proposal. She hadn't a clue what their super creative and evil mind could think as her dare, so she made sure to play for her dignity.
That night was marked with a lot of laughs and embarrassment with the loser's punishment that went from dancing with a stranger to getting a random girl's number, she smiled remembering when Luna got a number way faster than Roan.
Lost in her memories the class started and after a while Raven stopped looking at the door expecting a messy curly haired girl to get in and sit beside her.
The teacher gave Raven the next challenge and let the pairs talk at the end of the class. She just sat there observing all the other pairs talk and let her thoughts go to where her curiosity was, she sighed and just organized her stuff waiting for the bell.
Luna didn't come.
The class ended and she made her way to the cafeteria. She sat with her friends but focused on her food and her worries. She saw Lexa there earlier, why wasn't Luna in the class?
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It was time for extra class, but, because she had finished her project, her well made project, she didn't need Sinclair assistance or anything, so he dismissed her to help the students who had difficulties. She just walked by the school. Clarke had art and she was working on some pieces for an exposition. She knew she had to wait for her ride or go home by herself.
A few hours doing nothing wouldn't hurt.
She remembered Octavia should be training now and made her way to the field. She saw a lot of red spots and knew she was right. The cheerleaders were training their new routine on the grass area outside the field lines. She sits on the bleachers, trying to identify Octavia from far. After a while she saw her on the top of the pyramid. Little Blake was brave, Raven would never trust those girls to catch her.
She saw Octavia put her arms in a X across her body and jump from the top. Raven's eyes widened for a moment until she realized two boys had caught her fall. Dammit.
She needed to give the cheerleaders some credit. She tried to spot Harper too but her attention changed as she saw movement with her side view. That must be time for soccer training now too, because the field was taken by girls who started a match. Her eyes ran through the field searching for a familiar face.
The girls weren't wearing their uniforms, just colorful vests to identify the teams and that was making Raven's job hard. She quickly identified Lexa, she was pointing and yelling something, at the middle of the field, her hair was in a ponytail and she had a belt on her arm showing she was the captain. She identified Echo at the defense for the blue team and Niylah as an attacker with the yellow color on her vest.
The yellow team, Lexa's color, just lost the ball and the blue team advanced in the attack field. She looked at who had the ball and then at who she slid the ball to, when she recognized that curls.
Luna ran fast and stopped abruptly.
She pretended she would kick the ball into the goal and the defense went on it, with a look she saw her blue teammate and slid the ball for her, who scored. The pair ran screaming and celebrating. The Lexa's team put the ball back in the middle. They pass the ball and the teams fight for it. She watched as someone in yellow did something with the ball and dribbled the girl in front of her, she almost scored.
The ball was in the middle again but this time someone passed the ball to Luna who dribbled her first opponents and passed the ball for the girl behind her. In a blink Raven noticed her in the small area.
She was fast.
The ball came from nowhere and Luna scored again. Raven had a smile watching her celebrating again.
She watched the whole game. She didn't know how long it had taken until Octavia called her name.
"Hey, I came to see you training"
Raven said, leaving the bleachers. She walked until the metal guardrail and slid through it, then used Octavia's help to jump from the highest level. The bleachers were higher than the field's level, it wasn't much, maybe one meter and a half, to get there correctly she needed to leave the bleachers area and turn the hallways but passing through the metal thing and jumping was faster, even with her bad leg. Octavia drank her water after Raven reached the field level and put her black hair on a bun, making a knot with its length.
"Yeah, I know what you're watching" she mocks her. Other girls joined Octavia, drinking water as they left the field laying near the tired cheerleaders dispersed over the grass . They usually lay down, get some air, drink some water before it was time to leave, and knowing this, the coach dismissed them a few minutes before the other classes ended.
"Should we go to Clarke's car?" Raven asked, checking the hour. Octavia smiled.
"Relax, babe, Clarke always passes by to 'meet me' but that's really why" Blake said pointing with her head. Raven had to stop her mouth to open. Some team girls had taken their colored vest off, and some of them had taken their shirts too.
"Little Blake!" A shirtless Lexa greeted Octavia. They start a conversation about something Raven didn't care about, it should be just another game related talk, she was busy looking at the other Woods.
Luna had loose her ponytail and her curls were free to be messy again. It felt slow motion when she turned a bottle of water in her head. Raven's brain had short time to process the view before Luna walked in her direction.
She almost screamed by being caught staring at her and her damn abs and realized she had ignored the girls next to her. Raven thanked Clarke's arrival for stopping her to look at Luna and her body of hers. She thought about asking why she skipped English class but gave up, she couldn't risk looking at her and unintentionally stare at her sculpted body. Again.
"Hey, girls" Clarke said and Lexa kissed the blonde's cheek. "Argh you're sweat" she said cleaning the spot but she had a smile.
The whole group started to walk at the school front gates. The five girls and a few others that left their training too. Raven slowed down her walk to let Clarke, Lexa and Octavia a few steps aways and matched her speed, as soon as Luna reached her, with hers. She didn't notice at first, she was distracted trying to zip her backpack.
"We have a new challenge" Raven said, making Luna turn to her. She makes a face when remembered she wasn't at class. "We need to go at the other's house" Luna ignored her still opened backpack turning her attention completely at Raven. The brunette blinked a few times trying to organize her thoughts.
"I already went to yours, do you want to... to go to my house... later?" Raven said, sighing a little bit embarrassed, maybe because she was distracted by Luna smirk, or because she passed her hands through her curls. She could feel her cheeks starting to burn.
"Sure" she answered simply with a smile. Raven murmured a 'great' before turning and walking behind her friends at Clarke's car direction, hoping all this was fast enough to avoid Luna to see her blush.
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Raven ran to open the door, she saw Luna's car parked in front of her house, it was already dark outside, she let her enter. She didn't know exactly what to do, the challenge was just 'invite your friend at your house'. Pretty vague, huh.
"Do you want to eat something?" Raven asked. Luna was looking at the house. It was small and simple, but cozy.
"No, I'm good thanks" Luna smiled.
"So let's go to my room," Raven said. Luna thought she was going upstairs but Raven guided her to a room besides the living room. Her room wasn't big but was enough for a couple's bed, a wardrobe and some space between both furniture. They sit on the bed in silence.
"Do you live alone?" Luna asked. There was no other noise in the house besides them.
"I live with my father but he doesn't spend much time here" Luna nodded and noticed the posters on the wall. There was a huge one with some galaxy photos and there's something written but she can't read from this far. Other was a drawing of a spaceship, it was a sketch almost as a blueprint, she already saw that spaceship somewhere she didn't remember where though. Maybe in a movie?
She looked at a few Polaroids in the wall. Raven and Octavia with sunglasses; Raven, Clarke and Octavia laughing on a beach; all her friends on a sofa; She and Octavia hugging.
Raven watched the girl's eyes run through her room.
"Come here" Raven said leaving the room waiting for the other to follow her. She opened the garage door with a smile. Luna looked around trying to understand what that room was.
"Welcome to the Raven's cave"
Luna laughed at the latina joke. There's tools all around the place. A very messy table with a lot of paperwork. In the wall there's some papers too, some notes and drawings. She walked cautiously as she tried not step on any of the metal pieces on the floor. It was enough that she has broken one already. That's exactly what she expected to see in Raven's house.
"Thanks by the way" Raven said putting her hand on her back pockets. Luna looked confused at the girl. Raven tilted her head as she clarified.
"I know you gave me my part" Luna opened her mouth to defend herself but she couldn't think of an excuse. She thought about denying it, but in the end she just frowned as she looked into Raven's brown eyes.
"How do you know it?" Luna asked. She went to the secretary's room on the same day she bumped into Raven, she saw her name in the requirements list and saw what thing had been delivered to her request. Then she searched for it and bought it. She had asked for the fastest delivery, what made her shop more expensive but she didn't care. The part itself was expensive too. It took some days to get into her house. She opened the package to take the paper with her information as the buyer off. She packed again and left it at the secretary's door with a note, to Raven Reyes. How could she know it was her? She has been so cautious.
"How?" Luna said amused for being caught.
"I am friends with the old lady, she told me someone at school cared for me, and well a very expensive part in what? 3 weekdays...?" Raven said with a grin, counting after the day she had requested the part again, Luna looked embarrassed. She noticed her error, how the part could be delivered again if Raven haven't requested again? She really forgot this. She didn't expect the girl to know at all, she just smiled and said 'you're welcome'.
"I was sorry I broke your piece and you said you needed it fast so I handle it" Luna said shyly to Raven who smiled. The latina took a few papers on the desk and showed them to Luna. Woods looked at the papers, seemed to be a very long calculation with some explanation with very hard words as she passed through the pages, and a drawing example of what she thought should be the assignment. And in the end of the last page, with a red pen a big A+. She looked at Raven who smiled like crazy and that made Luna smile too.
"That's thanks to you" Raven took the papers back and Luna gazed at the floor. She was happy for her even if that doesn't have anything to do with Luna, just Raven's amazing intelligence. Was she...proud?
She took a step forward and hugged her enthusiastically. She didn't think much before it, Raven's hand quickly rested on her back and her head on Luna's shoulder. Luna was extremely proud even if she already knew Raven is the smartest person on Polis High it still amazed her. She breathed deeply as she felt Raven's sweet scent. They broke the hug smiling at each other.
"I'm really happy but this is all you and that brilliant brain of yours" Raven chuckled and looked down. Luna could see Raven's eyes shining as she lifted her gaze to meet hers. But a noise coming from the living room caught her attention, making the girls startled.
There was just the pair in the house.
Raven whispered something and Luna grabbed a metal thing she could use for defense. They slowly made their way to the living room.
They did a count before storming into the room. Luna was on her way to hit the threat when Raven screamed.
And the man too.
Luna froze and watched the girl throw herself into the men's arm. Raven didn't know when was the last time she saw her old man. She smiled. She didn't know why he was at home but she hugged him.
"Hey Rav" the man said messing with Raven's hair. He was tired, Luna could see the bags under his eyes but he smiled anyway. Mister Reyes seemed to notice her presence there as he left the hug.
"Who is that?" He asked Raven and before she could answer he extended a hand to Luna.
"I'm Raven's father" he introduced himself taking his coat and putting it on the sofa.
"I'm Luna" she said with a kind smile. The man looked at Raven and made a hand gesture. The girl blushed and pushed Luna to her room quickly. It was funny how her father was supportive, in the beginning when she told him she was dating Octavia she thought he wouldn't like, actually he didn't say anything, he just stood there looking at her. Raven was desperate, she was thinking he would scream at her or beat her because he was an extremely religious man, but he just hugged her. He said 'Rav I almost lost you at the accident, just God know how I prayed and he gave me you back...I want you to have the long, happiest life, and if she makes you happy I am too'. She remembered when she broke up with Octavia he wanted to go to her house and convince her back. Her father was the Octaven shipper number one, she had won his heart on the first dinner, and this was way before they dated.
She and her father had a great relationship, he used to play guitar and her ex drummed her sticks making a beat everywhere.
It was funny. It is still.
She just blushed when he gestured his hands. She quickly turned to look at Luna and thank God she wasn't looking at him.
"Okay dad, we're-in-my-room-doing-homework-bye" she said quickly without breathing, grabbing Luna by her wrist, she just watched Raven smile shyly letting her hand.
"I know you don't see your father often, I think I'm going home, okay?" Luna said smiling. Raven didn't want the girl to leave but she was right. She sighed in frustration. She didn't remember the last time she spent with her father. Reyes just nodded and walked the girl out.
"It was lovely to meet you, sir" Luna said taking her jacket and bag, she gave him a smile and Raven opened the door. They walked slowly to the girl's car. Luna turned to Raven to say something but didn't. They just stared at each other for a moment.
"Why are you anxious?" Raven asked for the girl who's shaking the keys. She noticed her nervousness at the moment Luna arrived but didn't say anything.
"First game tomorrow" Luna said "and a big one" Raven smiled.
"You're going to do great, don't worry" it was true. Raven saw the girl training and she was amazing, no doubt she would kick some ass tomorrow.
"Is this...you cheering for me, Reyes?"
Luna said, with an eyebrow raised and a playful smile remembering the day she slept in her house. Raven just pushed Luna's shoulder rolling her eyes. Luna smiled and turned to get into the driver's seat as Raven walked slowly back to her home. Before Luna could leave with the car Raven yelled.
"Will you do a score for me?"
Luna laughed as she left. Raven stepped in with a goofy smile and met her father's gaze.
"Don't you start" she said before he could say anything.
"Want to watch TV, kid?" She smiled and lay down on his side on the sofa.