Hidden Behind Walls

Chapter 18: On our way

"I'm going to take the week to weigh my options. I will get back to you at the end of this week" I said curtly, starting to walk away from the table. I stopped abruptly and turned around sheepishly. "I'm gonna need a pass, Coach" I say with a grin. Coach Rosch stands up with a laugh, and scribbles on a sticky note for me. I take it, give the recruiters a nod, and take my leave. When I entered the main office, Ms. Zaques was sitting stoically in her chair, her fingers clacking away. She looked up at me and gave me a thumbs up. I smiled and made my way back to Pre-Cal.

Raven was watching Mrs. Kapler, our Pre-Cal teacher, slugglishy, her head resting on her hand. When I knocked on the door, her eyes raised up slowly towards the door. Once she saw me, she gave me a tired grin. She stood up and opened the door for me, drawing everyone's attention from Mrs. Kapler to us.

I slipped in and she shut the door walking back to our seats. Throughout the rest of the class, which wasn't much, I milled over my conversation with the recruiters. Rave made a last ditch effort to pay attention to the rest of the lesson and when the bell rang I was still sitting there thinking, in an empty classroom.

"Clay, you ok?" Raven asks, tilting her head to the side. It took me a minute to process what she said, but when it did my head snapped up and I gave her a reassuring smile.

"What'd they call you in for?" She continued.

"Recruiters" I murmur spacing out slowly.

"They came" she exclaimed, her eyes bugging out. Her hands gripped the sides of my face and she brought my line of sight to her eyes. I nodded my head lightly.

"Oh my god!!" She squealed happily. Her arms wrapped me, enveloping me in her warmth and happiness. It was the happiest I'd seen her since the dance. It was short lived because she immediately took a step back with a frown pressing against her lips.

"Why aren't you happy?" she asks.

"In my head, it was always the college that gave me the most scholarships not actually having the choice to pick a college with a full ride in tow" I explained staring into her brown eyes.

"Well, you have the chance now. So take it by the balls" she said with a grin.

"You know, I could have said a very sexual comment to that statement" I say with a lopsided grin, rising from my seat.

"I know but you know better than that, so good boyfriend" she says giving me a pat on the head. She stops patting and her body goes rigid as she realizes what she actually said.

"Boyfriend, huh?" I say with a smirk. She starts to chew her bottom lip, and I could see ideas rolling around in her head on how to react. She took a step closer to me and pressed an index on my chest.

"Boyfriend" she says firmly, with a smirk fixed onto her face.

"Glad to hear" I retort grazing my thumb against her cheek, "...girlfriend." She scrunched up her face at the word.

"So weird...I'm a girlfriend" she says with an incredulous look. I laugh at her statement my fingers still brushing against her skin. I plant a kiss on her forehead softly and slowly lower my head down to touch our foreheads together.

A lot things flashed in my mind, I'd said that I wouldn't be in a relationship with Rave before I fixed my family problem but here I was kissing her. The full ride was just the first step but I was taking it like all my problems were solved. I sighed quietly removing myself from her, feeling awful for being selfish about this.

All of sudden her lips came up to mine and she brought up her arms to wrap around my neck and her fingers played with the ends of my hair. I slid my hands down to her waist and gripped her lightly, pressing my lips harder onto hers. She smiled against my lips and I crumbled a little inside.

"Ehem" a voice grunted, that sounded suspiciously akin to Mrs. Kapler's voice. I was too lost in Rave to notice much but Rave timidly stepped away from me and shot the person a million dollar grin.

"Sorry, Mrs. Kapler, we'll be on our way" Rave said through that grin, sliding her messenger bag onto her body slowly.

"Your lucky school's over" Mrs. Kapler says with a stern face. Raven nodded her head understandingly. I slung my backpack onto my back and Raven grabbed my hand and started fast walking out the classroom. She shot Mrs. Kapler another million dollar, valedictorian, teacher's pet type of grin and ran us out of the classroom. Once we were a sufficient distance away from the classroom and nearing Megan's locker she slowed down.

She still grasped my hand though not letting go even when we started walking.

* * *

Raven P.O.V.

My mind was abuzz from all the events that had taken place at the end of this school day. I'm pretty sure I was still shaking subtly, from calling Clay my boyfriend and kissing and getting caught to him getting his full ride. My breathing was slightly erratic but I still clung onto his hand, it was like this calm force. I didn't know what to say, I was afraid that I'd embarrass myself.

I called him my freaking boyfriend, oh god, what was I thinking. I look up at him trying to be discreet but he casts me a glance and throws a grin on his face when he sees me looking at him. I nervously beam back at him.

We silently walk to the Meagan's locker but it isn't awkward, like silence was ok. Megan's blonde hair came into view and she was screeching about being late for something at Ruri. Once, Ruri pointed me out Megan's spitfire turned to me and with horrifying realization, it finally computed to me that I had missed the bus in which dooming them both to possible grounding on part of me being so irresponsible.

"Raven, what were you even doing that could have possibly...." Meagan stopped abruptly as her eyes sank down to Clayton and I's intertwined hands.

"Is it official?" she whispered lowly. I nodded my head slowly, hoping this could appease her anger.

"FINA-FUCKING-LY" Meagan said throwing up her hands to the sky. Meagan started pacing around the little alcove raising her hands and kept saying praise to the gods. Ruri completely ignored her, and asked Clayton for a ride home. She did give me a congratulatory pat on the back though.

Ruri started to amble away towards the back door to the student parking lot.

"You wanna tell her we're going now?" Clayton asks me with an amused expression on his face.

"Nah, I wanna see if she notices we're missing" I say with sly grin.

"Okay, but if she blows up on you..." he says leaving off with a shrug.

"I will take the consequences" I say with a sharp salute. We follow after Ruri who had already made it outside. There was no sign of Meagan even when we had reached Clayton's convertible. I was honestly feeling a twinge bad when Clayton started pulling out of his parking spot. Before we left the student parking lot a blur curly blonde burst from the doors of the school.

"RAVENNNN!!!!"