Yours, Raven

Two

Two
• • •

By the time Elliot returned home at dusk, Darrin had left. When the front door opened and Elliot stepped inside, Raven felt an invisible force grab her by the neck, and when she heard his footsteps coming in through the door, she's quite sure she's dead already.

She jumped up from the top of the stairs where she'd been sitting the entire time and ran into her room. Quiet as a mouse, she closed the door behind her and positioned herself on the chair in front of her study table.

"Raves!" She heard her brother call for her from the living room, downstairs.

"Oh, God. No!" She whimpered as she leaned forward on the desk and buried her face in her arms.

Since her mom and second elder sister, Sarah, returned home from the market, she'd been trying to get her mom to let her sleep over at Darrin's house just for this one night. But all the persuasion went in vain since she had to wake up early for school tomorrow. It just wasn't possible, despite the countless puppy faces she had pulled up.

Raven dreaded the thought of having to face the outcome on her own without Darrin by her side. Separated, they were like half a soul and together, they made a whole. The thought of having to face her beloved brother's wrath without the empowering presence of her best friend frightened her to the bones. Elliot rarely got mad at her, which was why she found it the most frightening.

"Raves," Elliot called, knocking on her door.

Ishooooorrrrr!!!!

She gulped and timidly answered without even looking back (she wouldn't dare meet his eyes), "Yes?"

The door cracked open and Elliot peeked in. Raven was sure the world's longest lecture and chastising from her brother on how to act her age and not go about crushing on his friends was on the way.

This is it. I die tonight. I'll miss you, Darcy.

She turned and crossed her fingers behind her back as she met her brother's eyes.

"Aaron said he'd forgotten the test portion for Math. Here." He pulled out his phone and held it out to her. "Bring it back to me once you're done."

Raven froze in her chair and goggled at him with her light brown eyes as though life had taken a pause on her.

Just that?! Doesn't he know?

She nodded absentmindedly in response.

He seriously isn't scolding me?!

"Are you coming to get it or what?" Elliot asked, still holding out the phone to her.

Raven jumped up from her chair and ran across the room to get the device.

Too bad she wasn't allowed a phone. Raven was now in eighth grade and most of her friends, even Darcy, now had a phone. Even Aaron. But her parents, including her brother, wouldn't let her have one. They said it would get her distracted from school and the lectures always had to go as far as how a good person can become naughty through the usage of the very evil device called phone. Naughty as in, you know, late-night chats and getting involved with boys and all the dating stuff.