Teen Titans Fan Fiction ❯ Normal Like You ❯ Being Nice ( Chapter 15 )

Normal Like You

Chapter 16: Being Nice

She had to admit, it was pretty cool.

Gar had dragged out to the bay. The water was amazingly clean and a mound of untouched land sat placidly in the middle. A sparkling ocean stretched out into the horizon. It was picturesque, if not for the construction crew in the distance, ripping apart trees and rocks.

“You like?” Gar asked from behind her.

Raven glanced up. “Yeah. It's pretty.”

“I like it down here,” he settled next to her. “Two months and that island out there's being turned into a mall. One month and they're building a bridge. A year and all the woods around here will be torn down for a new apartment complex. Three, give or take, and that bay will be so polluted they'll drain it, block off the ocean, and fill the empty space with concrete.

“Depressing,” she murmured, “I give it a year and a half before a bunch of environmentalists start a riot.”

“Nah, a year, maybe two.”

She leaned back. “How long until nature strikes back?”

“Five to ten years. Nature's not quick on the uptake.”

“You know a lot about this.”

“I've done some rioting in my time.”

“And you're like what? Seventeen?”

He stuck his tongue out at her.

“Oh I'm sorry. You're twelve.”

Gar chuckled and stretched out his legs. She stared at him and leaned closer.

“What?” he asked, a bit surprised by her sudden lack of personal space. Raven always implemented the personal space rule.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked, leaning closer.

“Doing what?”

“Not bother me about what I told you. Being so nice to me.” Her face was inches from his.

“B-because I don't think you'd want to talk about it. And why can't I be nice to you?”

“No one's nice to me. And don't you dare say you are. I know you. You aren't this nice to me.”

“Because I know you'll kill me. But I figure now you won't.”

“Why won't I?”

He chuckled. “You kissed me.”

Her mouth formed a small o. “So you think I'm going to be nicer?”

“No. I just figured there was a nicer Raven underneath.”

She shrugged. “I wouldn't count on it.”

He grinned as if he had a secret, and she returned to staring at the scenery.

“So what do you wanna do next?” he asked.

“ `Next?'” she asked suspiciously.

“Yes. I didn't think you'd want to sit around here all day. There are better places to go.”

“What makes you think I'm going anywhere else with you?”

He feigned hurt. “That was just mean, Raven,” he joked, “Why must you be so cruel?”

She gave him a long look and stood up. “I think I'm being rather nice. After all, it was you who threatened me to come out here, and do you see me wringing your neck? No. That is me being nice.”

He grinned. “Well then, I guess I'm being graced by Nice Raven. Perhaps Nice Raven would enjoy going to get pizza.”

She raised an eyebrow but ignored him. “I think I'd rather-”

“Hide out in the library?” He grabbed her shoulders and spun her around to face him. “Do you really mean that?” His eyes had a tone of seriousness in him, and she suddenly felt a bit of guilt run over her. Gar had been trying to make her feel better, and she was trying to blow him off.

“Fine, but not pizza. All you ever eat is pizza. There's a thing called variety.”

“Never heard of it. Is it a kind of pizza?”

She glared at him and followed him to the car, instantly regretting her decision.

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“This is boring,” moaned Gar as Raven perused the shelves carefully. Only a few minutes ago had she been doing the same thing at the game store across the street. She'd dragged him out and into the bookstore, where he'd begun complaining.

“Well if it's boring,” she said through clenched teeth, “Go somewhere else.”

He grimaced and hung off the bookshelf, staring at the dusty old volumes.

“I didn't even know they sold stuff this old.”

“You learn something new everyday,” she tried to ignore him. Unfortunately something else caught his eye.

“The Book of Suicidal Bunnies?” he picked it up and flipped through it, his face turning to horror. “The hell?”

She glanced over at it and sighed. Yanking it out of his hand, she closed it and set it down on the shelf. “Obviously you're too bored to function. Come on. It's not like I have money anyway.”

“Finally!” he grinned and quickly stopped at her glare. “So what's next?”

“I don't know,” she said irritably, “You're the one bored to tears.”

He rolled his eyes. “There's gotta be something you want to do that doesn't involve books.”

“What do you have against books?”

“Nothing. They're just boring.”

“You have to have a favorite book. Or do you even know how to read.”

“' Course I can read.. You can't read gaming manuals unless you know how to read.”

“…That was redundant.”

“...Whatever. So where do you wanna go?”

“I don't know. Nothing around here is interesting enough.”

“Oh!” Gar's face lit up as an idea struck him. Raven could sense she was going to hate it. “Kori and Dick are going to the carnival at the pier. We could go.”

“A carnival? Do you actually think you can get me to go to that?”

“I got you to go to the party, right?”

“And we all know how well that turned out.”

Gar frowned but his spirit was not dampened. “Come on. Vic and I were gonna go anyway, and you wouldn't want to be all alone, sitting at home…” He cringed as realized the sensitive subject. But it was effective.

She glared at him, but she knew he had won. “Fine,” she said reluctantly, “Might as well. Nothing better to do.”

“Great!” Gar grinned again. “What do you want to do `til then?”

Raven sighed. This would be along day.

Author(ess) Notes:

K. Well, I decided since I had no idea where I was gonna go from there, I would head them off to the carnival where Kori's sister might make another appearance. I'm not making any promises. I used to be chapters ahead, but now I'm a bit behind. Don't you worry.

By the way, I'm typing this on my BRAND NEW LAPTOP!!!!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, review my story.

P.S. The Book of Suicidal Bunnies is a real book. We were in Hastings and saw it. The title might actually be different, but it's hilarious. A good read.