"You're different," he whispered, taking her by surprise. "I knew you needed security from the get-go. It's just something about you that lured me in. Besides, who else could I get to tickle my stomach like you do?"
Raven burst into laughter and pressed her hands against his stomach to try and push herself away. Jason sat up properly and hugged her tightly, refusing to let her get away. She giggled as he cradled her from side to side, but she instinctively held her hand over her mouth to hide her smile from him.
He noticed, and she forgot how to breathe once more as he gently took her wrist and moved her hand. "Don't hide your smile."
Tingles spread through her body. "I'm a bit… insecure about my teeth…"
"Why?" he frowned.
"I've been bullied about them most of my life," she chewed her lip. "They're crooked."
"The people who bullied you are the crooked ones," Jason told her. "You still look beautiful to me."
Raven couldn't stop her heart from pounding against her chest and she stared into his emerald eyes. He thought she was beautiful even with her crooked teeth? Only Elaise had ever said that to her, but friends were supposed to say that. Never before had a boy looked at her the way Jason seemed to. This was what it was like to be in a relationship. This is what Raven had always wanted; for a boy that saw past all of her flaws and still thought she was perfect.
"Alright, out of the pool!"
The two of them quickly looked up and gulped when they saw the three cranky teachers and a German shepherd dog growling at them. They were caught breaking curfew. Great.
Jason helped Raven out of the pool. They collected their shirts and Raven put hers on, drenching it instantly. Jason swung his own shirt over his shoulder and they turned to face the teachers. Raven recognized Mr. McDowell, their Math teacher.
"Do you two realize that you have broken curfew?" Mr. McDowell growled.
"Yes, sir," Jason nodded.
"That is a serious offense. We expected more from you, Jason. And we expected you to at least try Raven."
"Sorry, sir," they both mumbled.
"You will be marched straight to the headmaster's office!" Mr. McDowell snapped and the teachers led them away. Jason looked down at the dog and it ran off again. Raven guessed it was going on the hunt to find more rule-breakers.
She kept by Jason's side as they were led into the building, soaking wet. She shivered and Jason made a move to put an arm around her, but the teachers told him to keep his distance. Instead, he shot her a sympathetic smile and she returned it.
It was a long walk up to the headmaster's office on the top floor of the main building and Raven wanted to collapse to the ground and die by the time they reached their destination. Why couldn't they have taken the elevator?
With a knock, the door opened and the two students were ushered into the room. Mr. McDowell was the only teacher to walk in with them. "Sorry to bother you, Headmaster," he said, "but these two decided it would be fun to go for a moonlit swim."
Raven hadn't yet met the headmaster and she was surprised when she saw how much gray hair he had. The man turned his gaze to them and Raven fought the urge to dash and hide behind Jason when she saw his eyes. One eye was a light blue, and the other was pure gold like Eliza's with what looked like a permanent burn around it.
"Ah, Raven," he said with a voice that made him sound like a croaking frog. "I remember speaking with your parents on the phone. This was your second day, correct?"
"Um… Yes, sir," she nodded.
"I'm sure you read over the brochure with the list of rules we have here at White Grass?"
"Yes, sir."
"So, tell me," he let his gaze rest on her and she felt the hair on the back of her neck standing on end as it dried. "Why have you broken the most important rule in my school?"
"It was my fault, sir," Jason spoke up before Raven could think of anything to say and the headmaster turned to stare at the green-eyed boy. Unlike Raven, Jason looked unafraid. "I told her to come out."
"You, son, know the rules much better than she," the headmaster fixed Jason with an angry glare. "You know better than this. You know what could have happened!" If looks could kill, Raven thought with shock, Jason would be dead.
"The dogs were there, sir," Jason assured him. "Nothing could have gone wrong-"
"Says you!" the elderly man silenced him. "You put her life in danger. I expected better from you, of all people."
Jason lowered his head and Raven saw the pain in the boy's eyes. He had put her life in danger? What did he do wrong? Yes, she had been terrified of the water, but he made sure she didn't drown. What did he do to put her life in danger?
"I'm sorry, sir," Jason mumbled.
"It is not me that you should apologize to," the headmaster raised his chin. "I accepted you here on the condition that you behaved and changed your ways. To me, it sounds like your allegiance never changed."
"It did!" Jason's head snapped up and he growled. Raven frowned and stood rooted to the spot. "I have changed!"
"Where's the proof?" the headmaster challenged him.
Jason's hands clenched and Raven heard him growling. This was his temper rising, she guessed. Slowly and cautiously, she reached her hand up and placed it over his fist. His body relaxed at once and he turned his head slightly to blink down at her. She tried to give him an encouraging smile and his hand unclenched to firmly hold hers.
"It was my fault," Raven said to the headmaster. "I'm very sorry. I told Jason that I was afraid of water and he only wanted to help me. It wasn't his fault. Please don't be mad at him."
The headmaster stared at her for a long moment, letting her words soak in. "It takes a very noble person to take the blame for someone else's mistakes. I admire your honesty, but the fault goes to both of you. The two of you will be punished."
"Yes, sir," they sighed.
"You will clean the dining hall every day until this day next week," the older man smiled. "After breakfast and dinner."
Raven bit back a snide remark to express how unfair that was for the both of them. They didn't do any harm, so why should they have to clean up after everyone morning and night?! Jason gave her hand a squeeze and she kept her mouth shut.
"Now, I want Raven to be taken back to her dorm," the headmaster looked at Mr. McDowell. "Jason, I wish to speak with you about other matters."
Raven's hand was released and she wanted to give Jason a comforting hug, but Mr. McDowell herded her out of the room. She hoped Jason was going to be okay. If she hadn't told him about her fears, this never would have happened.
She was led into another building and up to the girls' dormitories until they found Raven's dorm. Her teacher knocked on the door and it was quickly pulled open by an excited Elaise. "Raven! How did the date go-" she paused when she spotted the teacher. "I mean… Where did you disappear to?"
"Goodnight, girls," Mr. McDowell scowled and Elaise pulled Raven into the room, shutting the door.
"What happened?" Elaise demanded, seeing Raven's expression. "Did something happen to Jason?"
"We got caught," Raven shrugged. "I think he got into more trouble than I did. We both have to clean the dining hall after breakfast and dinner for a whole week!"
Elaise frowned. "That sucks. But you look like you went for a swim! Tell me what happened."
Elaise rushed to get Raven a towel and the blonde wrapped herself in it as they sat on the couch. Raven felt her cheeks flush again as she told her friend the events at the pool. She told Elaise how patient Jason had been with her and how he taught her to swim. She explained how unafraid she felt with him there and Elaise hugged a cushion, desperate to hear more. Raven then went on to explain how cold she got and how Jason had cuddled her on the step to warm her up. She told Elaise that they talked for a little bit and then they got caught. She made sure to leave out the part where Jason kissed her cheek and wanted her to tickle his stomach, just in case Elaise thought he was turning into a bit of a creep.
"A
www!" Elaise grinned. "But why did Jason get into more trouble than you?"
"I don't know," Raven admitted. "The headmaster was convinced he put me in danger. He said he wasn't sure if Jason had really 'changed his allegiance'."
"Allegiance?" Elaise echoed in confusion. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Raven shrugged. "I wouldn't have a clue. But I can't get over how warm Jason's body was. It's like he has an inbuilt heater!"
"Jason and Raven, sittin' in a tree!" Elaise sang and Raven scowled at her. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Jason with the baby carriage!"
"Elaise!" Raven gasped, throwing a cushion at her. "We're not even going out. It wasn't even a date!"
"It totally was," Elaise poked he tongue out at her friend. "He's perfect, Rich!"
"What about your boyfriend, Der?" Raven retorted. "I don't see you and him getting all cozy together."
"He is not my boyfriend!"
"Well, Jason isn't mine."
"We'll see," Elaise tapped the side of her nose. "I can just imagine little Raven's and Jason's running around already…"
Raven growled at the brunette but a knock came at the door. Elaise watched as Raven got up and walked to the door, slowly opening it. She was surprised to see Jason standing there with a smile, his shirt still hung over his shoulder.
"Hey," she greeted him.
"Hey," he replied. "I didn't get the chance to apologize for risking your life tonight."
Raven frowned. "I don't get it. How did you risk my life?"
"There's some things about this school that just isn't normal, that's all," he told her. "I also wanted to thank you; I didn't snap at Headmaster Smith because of you."
"Any time," she offered a smile, trying to push the bad thoughts out of her mind. Was there really something dangerous about this school?
"Raven, who's at the door?" Elaise asked, walking up beside her friend and spotting Jason. "Oh. Hello."
"Hi," he smiled.
"How'd the date go?" Elaise grinned.
"Fantastic," he answered without a second thought before Raven could turn on her friend. "But I'd better go before I get in more trouble. Goodnight, Raven. Elaise." Elaise dipped her head to him and Raven bit her tongue when Jason leaned down and gently kissed her cheek. Raven playfully reached forward and tickled his stomach. He smiled before turning and walking back down the hallway. Elaise poked her head out the door to watch him leave and Raven counted how many seconds it would take for her friend to make a comment.
"How cute!" Five seconds. "Raven, I hope you didn't have sex with him in the pool."
"No! I'm not like that anymore!" Raven growled, walking over to the fridge and pulling out some milk. She grabbed a small bowl and collected her Coco Pops from the cupboard. She poured a bowl of cereal and put some milk in it before putting the carton back in the fridge and getting a spoon.
"I know," Elaise smiled, closing the front door. "But, Raven?"
"Hmm?" the blonde mumbled through a mouthful of cereal.
"If you don't want him, can I have him?"
Raven almost choked and she spluttered for a moment. "No way!" she exclaimed. "You can go chase after Der. Keep your hands away from Jason!"
Elaise giggled. "I'm just teasing. You and him are so cute."
Raven polished off her cereal and thought about Jason's shirt that she still had sitting in her room. She wondered if he had purposely forgotten about it. "Anyway, I'm going to bed," she announced. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Okay, goodnight," Elaise skipped over to her room and Raven went to her own. She decided to have a quick shower, thankful for the hot water. She washed her hair, but almost lost herself when she could still feel Jason's arms around her. She shook her head roughly as she got out of the shower and dried herself off. It was only her second day at the academy! How the hell had she gotten so attached to him so quickly?
She brushed her hair and tied it up, going back into her bedroom and pulling on her pajama shorts. She looked over to Jason's shirt that sat on her bed and she slowly picked it up, glancing at her closed door before putting the shirt on. Jason's smell lingered all around her and she smiled, climbing into bed and hugging Rover. She felt perfectly safe with her teddy and the strong scent of Jason. She closed her eyes and smiled, looking back at her pool party with him. She imagined his arms around her again and she drifted off to sleep, feeling safe and warm.
Church Days
8. Church days
"This is so disgusting!" Raven complained, picking up a soggy piece of toasted bread with a gloved hand, shoving it in the garbage bag. Someone at breakfast –that someone being Elaise– had decided it would be a fun idea to start a food fight, and now food was scattered all across the dining hall. Raven was so glad it was Saturday so she didn't have to clean up, go back to her dorm and shower, and then get ready for classes. She told herself that Monday would be different story. She already knew she would definitely be late for Homeroom.
She glanced up to see Jason cleaning up the other side of the hall with some other kids that had been given the same punishment for breaking curfew. The green-eyed boy didn't seem bothered having to clean up, and Raven wondered how many times he must have had to do this.
She dragged her half-full garbage bag over to a huge pile of dumped food and she picked it all up with her gloved hand, shoving it in the bag and trying not to throw up from the horrid smell. She yawned and continued her work. In under an hour, the mess was all cleaned up and Raven moved on to clean the tables while other kids mopped the floors.
She stepped back from one clean table but she bumped into someone and she yelped in surprise. She spun around and saw the brunette boy behind her. "Sorry!" she gasped. "That was my fault."
"It's okay," he smiled. "You're Raven, aren't you?" she nodded. "My girlfriend, Sally, told me about you. It's good to know she has nice friends."
"Thanks," Raven chewed her lip awkwardly. "It's nice to meet you… Um…"
"Anthony," he chuckled and shook her hand. "So, how did you get cleaning duty?"
"Jason and I had a pool party," she laughed. "It was fun while it lasted."
"Nice," Anthony smirked. "I got caught trying to check out the forest to see where the students go for 'chess club' every month."
Raven thought about that for a moment and laughed it off, leaving him to go mop the rest of the floor. She skipped over to Jason as he was cleaning another table. "So… Chess club, huh?" she muttered and sat on the table where Jason hadn't yet cleaned, forcing him to look up at her.
"Nothing gets past you, does it?" he chuckled.
"You don't look like you play chess," she pointed out. "What do you really do?"
"It's a chess club," he told her simply and smiled as he stood in front of her, placing his hands on either side of her and leaning in. "Now, I need to clean the rest of the table. The problem is, your butt is in the way."
"Can I join the club?" she asked, curious to know what really went on.
"Sorry, but the headmaster would have invited you if he thought you were chess worthy," he scoffed playfully and Raven was suddenly picked up and thrown over his shoulder. She grumbled as he held onto her and cleaned the table where she had been sitting.
"You didn't need to do that!" she whined.
"Well, your butt didn't wanna move," he told her.
She was about to reply but she heard the crack of a solid connection and a boy cursed loudly. Jason put her back on the table and she tried to turn to see what happened, but he grabbed her shoulders and stopped her. "What?" she blinked.
"Don't," he mumbled quietly. "One of the boys got whacked in the face."
Raven frowned and even though he didn't say the boy was bleeding, she already knew it. She felt her body quiver and she resisted the urge to wrap her arms around Jason and cuddle up to him.
"Wait here," he told her and rushed over to where the boy was. Raven grabbed the cloth Jason had been using and consciously wiped th
e table around her, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end.
Jason returned after a few minutes and Raven saw two students leading the injured boy out of the hall with a clean cloth over his mouth to hide the blood, on Jason's request.
"You okay?" he asked. Raven looked up at him and nodded, thankful that he took her phobias seriously.
They finished cleaning up the hall and Raven was exhausted by the time it was over. She tried falling asleep on a table but Jason picked her up in his arms and he grumbled as he carried her out into the hallway, taking the elevator up to her dorm. Raven unlocked the door and Jason carried her in and over to her room. She stared up at him as he placed her down on her bed and she laughed when he spotted Rover, narrowing his eyes playfully.
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