Raven sat at her usual lunch table with Maddie and Cerise, the afternoon sun shining through the windows and illuminating the castleteria.
Raven ran her fingernail across the table, tracing an invisible picture. She looked calm and completely fine on the outside, but inside, her fear was bubbling in a flurry of emotions. She knew it would be a straightaway "no" from Apple if she asked her out, but she really needed to get her feelings off of her chest. She had given almost every dollar she had to the blackmailers, and she just knew they would be demanding more soon, and what she had left went towards...a special cause.
Raven was so caught up in her haze of stress, that she didn't even notice Maddie and Cerise trying to get her attention.
"Raven? Raaaaveeeeen?" Maddie called, snapping her fingers in front of Raven's eyes.
Raven blinked a couple of times, finally becoming more aware of her surroundings.
"What? What's going on?"
"You were zoned out pretty hard for a minute. You alright?" Cerise asked, leaning on the table as she raised a suspicious eyebrow.
"Yeah, just...thinking."
"About?"
"Something."
A smug grin crossed Cerise's face.
"Or someone." She motioned to where Briar, Ashlyn, and Apple were sitting.
Raven rolled her eyes as a faint blush spread over her face.
"No."
Maddie chuckled. "You are lovesick"
Cerise grinned and looked at Maddie.
"I didn't know ravens were lovebirds."
The two high-fived as Raven just stared at them, wanting to deny everything, but finding herself failing to do so.
"I'm not lovesick."
"You absolutely are."
Maddie chuckled silently to herself, gently elbowing Raven.
Raven rolled her eyes, but before she was able to do so, one of the castleteria windows burst open, a delivery bird crash landing into the floor of the castleteria. The students instantly went silent, as they always did whenever a delivery happened during lunch.
"Ohnononononono" Raven whispered to herself, knowing exactly what was happening.
The bird got on its feet again, checking a clipboard.
"Uh...delivery for Raven Queen."
Raven's face flushed as she immediately stood up
"THATS ME!"
She stumbled on her own feet as she ran over to where the bird was, 100 pairs of eyes following her. She quickly grabbed the clipboard from the bird and signed her signature with shaky hands.
She handed the pen and clipboard back to the bird, her hands still shaking. The bird's eyes ran over the clipboard before he reached into his backpack and pulled out a bouquet of red and white roses.
"And here's the roses."
The students began murmuring quietly amongst themselves. Raven's cheeks burned as she took the flowers. She spotted a graceful smile spreading across Apple's face out of the corner of her eye.
"Oh, and uh...the apples too." The bird then handed a basket of red apples to Raven.
Jesus Christ, this was too embarrassing.
Raven grabbed the basket and quickly turned away, but before she got very far, a voice rang out in the quiet castleteria.
"Raven?"
She turned quietly, seeing Apple smiling at her from her table.
"Do you have something you would like to tell me?"
"Mmmnnnnnnnnoooooooo." Raven held a smile, her cheeks still burning. Apple chuckled softly and slowly nodded. "Mhm."
Raven smiled nervously at her and quickly scurried back to her table while the castleteria returned to its usual loud state as the students began talking again.
"Try to deny being lovesick now."
Word count: 581