Raymond Mark: Season 1

Chapter 12 - Haters from Afar

PART 1: FRIENDS

Time was passing by rapidly. The training was going great. Master Owens had also put Raymond and Katie for a car driving test. Both of them passed easily. Master Owens was not around after that, he said he was helping the E. A. A. build the Battlelyte Arena. Raymond and Katie had to do their training on their own. Master Wyngaf suggested some improvements whenever he came across it.

Once a week, Raymond and Katie went with Master Owens to the supermarket to buy groceries and other things needed at the beach house. They were allowed to spend their allowances on anything, Katie mostly spent them on cakes.

One time, Master Owens was too busy to drop them back at home, so he gave the car keys to them and dived out to the Battlelyte site. He could have taken them back with a dive, but that would leave the car there. Diving with a heavy object like a car was never wise. He also wanted for Raymond and Katie to get some fresh air. He suggested that they do that.

Right on their way, there was a tiny riverfront. It was not crowded and was as beautiful and calm as the beach. Master Owens suggested hanging out there to get a change in scenery. He knew Katie would rather spend her time at the cake corner at a bakery, so he said he would treat Katie with cakes later that night. It was the day of First Rain so it was valid. Katie jumped after listening to that.Raymond knew he would have to deal with drooling Katie until she actually received one.

He took the car to the riverfront and parked. It was vacant. They walked near the water and sat on the green grass. The cold wind and the smell of nature were really great.

Raymond had never experienced this before, he had never had many friends to visit such a place and talk to them. Katie was the same, but she had decided to abandon her past and do everything she had not done before, so she started the conversation,

"Eve is coming back tonight."

"Yeah, heard it," said Raymond. He threw a stone in the river. It splashed and bounced a few times and sank. He never got a chance to ask Eve about her family. All he knew was that her dad was overprotective, but it seemed normal as he was the President.

"So," Katie said, "when are you asking her out?"

Raymond was a little embarrassed, he made a face and said, "I don't know how you made that thing up but stop it. There is nothing like that."

Katie clashed her shoulder with Raymond's. "Stop hiding it," she said, "I'm your best friend, I know."

"Oh please," Raymond said, "what could you know? And How?"

"The way you act around her," Katie said, "the way you talk to her, the way you look at her, all of that displays your heart out. And the way your face never loses a smile around her. If she is as smart as everyone says, she'd have figured it out. It's clear that you want to talk to her and be close to her."

"I don't know, Katie," Raymond said, "I don't know if love exists."

Katie wrapped her hand around Raymond and said, "Aww! That's so sweet, you've got your heart broken once. And you're afraid that it will happen again."

Raymond's face was shocked. He could not figure out how Katie could predict all of that.

"I told you, best friends know everything," Katie said with a grin. "So, tell me, was it you or her?"

"Actually, it was none," said Raymond, "We both had a bad day when I said some things about her father, which I shouldn't have, she slapped me. We both came to our senses and apologized to each other. Then I moved out of the house and she was moving to L. A. for education purposes. So, we broke up."