complications ↠ hemmings

Chapter 3

Raven's POV:

Standing in line at the Movie Theatre with Luke and Calum seems so unreal, but perfect at the same time.

Luke is standing close to me, and Calum is in front of us. We still haven't chosen a movie.

"How about the scary one?" Calum suggests, shrugging his shoulders.

I cringe at the idea of a scary movie. I'll have nightmares for weeks. But I decide to keep my mouth shut.

Luke nods at Calum, "that's fine." He quickly looks to me, "right?"

I smile up at him, and nod. He's so much taller than I thought he would be. I mean, I knew he was tall, but seriously? I only barley come up to his shoulder.

"Raven," Luke says quietly.

"What?" I smile nervously at him.

"Nothing, I just like your name." He smiles, and then looks away quickly, awkwardly shifting next to me.

I feel my cheeks flush a deep shade of red, and I have to hold myself back from smiling like an idiot.

Once we get our tickets, we go over to the concessions and both boys get a large popcorn and coke. I get my usual, skittles and sprite.

"Thanks for paying, guys, I really could've paid for my own stuff though." I say as we enter the theatre.

"Nonsense, we invited you, therefore we're paying for everything." Calum says and smiles a half smile as we find our seats.

Calum slides into a row towards the middle and Luke rushes to follow him. I follow them both, and sit down next to Luke, and I feel him smiling at me.

"What?" I ask him for what seems like the hundredth time.

"Nothing," he says and looks away.

Okay? I giggle to myself.

Luke's POV:

As soon as the movie starts, I feel Raven move. When I look over at her, she's sitting on the chair with her knees up to her stomach, arms wrapped around her legs, and head down almost completely hiding her face.

"You're scared?" I tease her.

She half smiles. "Kinda." And then continues to hide her face.

I want to comfort her, but I'm not sure how. Maybe I should just put my arm around her?

I bite at my lip, a nervous habit that I'm beginning to form.

Calum nudges me. "That girl is hot." He points at the screen.

I roll my eyes, and focus back on Raven. What the hell? I'm gonna do it.

I gently lift my arm, and put it around her shoulders, and I feel her body ease up underneath me. Much to my surprise, she leans her head into my jacket, hiding herself still from the movie.

What the fuck, man. She's so god damn cute. I stuff popcorn in my mouth, and pay attention to the movie finally.

Once the movie's over, I unhook my arm from her shoulders, and for a moment I see sadness flash through her eyes, but then she turns to get up from her seat, and she waits for me and Calum to follow.

I get up, and pick up my trash, and go out to the aisle where she's waiting.

It's an awkward walk to outside where Calum had parked his car.

When we get to the car, she looks up at me and smiles. "I had a great time, guys."

Calum nods. "No problem, we love movies!"

I bite my lip. Again. Shit. "Yeah, uh, no worries." What? I'm so stupid.

She giggles. "Well, I'm gonna just call my friend and have her pick me up.."

I speak too quickly, interrupting her. "No, we can take you home."

I see Calum roll his eyes out the corner of mine.

"Oh! Okay.. Well, I live in an apartment building downtown." She says, and we get into the car.

I'm about to get in the front, but then I change my mind and get in back with Raven.

She's on her phone, texting, when I slide into the seat next to her.

"I'm just letting my mom know that I'm coming home, even though she's probably sleeping." She says without looking up.

That reminds me of something. She hasn't even asked for one picture. Or a follow on twitter.

I decide to ignore it, and we drive to her directions.

Calum turns on his iPod, and "Smother Me" by The Used comes on, a slow song, but he doesn't bother changing it.

"Let me be the one who calls you baby all the time,
Surely you can take some comfort knowing that you're mine."

I was going to cover this a long time ago, but I decided against it because it's so slow.

I notice Raven humming along, and I smile at her. My hand clumsily finds hers and I place it on top of hers.

She blushes, and so do I. I debate on taking it away, but then she turns her hand and holds onto mine. I smile at her.

The song fills my ears.

"Now I can breathe, turn my insides out and smother me,
Warm and alive, I'm all over you. Would you smother me?"

I completely zone out and before I know it, she's taking her hand away from mine, and saying "right here."

I frown, but then quickly recover before she sees.

"I'll walk you up." I say, as Calum parks on the side of the road.

"Okay." She smiles softly.

I get out of the car, and quickly go to her side and open the door. Her eyes look up to me, and I hold my hand out. She takes it, and stands up.

"Tonighthasbeensoamazing," she breathes out quickly and I laugh.

"I agree." I say, smiling at her.

She leads me into the building, and leads me up 4 flights of stairs, and through a doorway, into a hallway with lots of doors with numbers.

She stops halfway down the hall and gestures towards the door. "This is me. 44." She smiles and then I see sadness flash through her eyes again.

"I had a great time," she murmurs.

"I need to see you again," my heart speaks for me before my mind can intervene.

She looks up at me, eyes sparkling. "What?"

I bite my lip. "Can I.. Uh, have your phone number?"

She smiles really big. "Yeah, oh my god... Yeah." She takes out her phone and hands it to me, and I give mine to her.

I enter my name on her phone as "Dr.Fluke" and give it back to her.

She laughs as she reads it. "I don't have anything interesting to put with my name," she hands my phone back to me.

I see her number, and for her name she just wrote 'Raven White'.

I smile. "You're name is perfect the way it is."

"Okay, well I better go inside." She says and takes out a key from the inside of her phone case.

"Okay," I lean in to hug her but somehow her lips find mine and we kiss awkwardly for a couple seconds, before she pulls away.

"I'm so sorr-" I begin but she cuts me off.

"Don't be." She blushes and waves goodbye and walks into her apartment, leaving me flustered and awkwardly standing in the tiny hallway of her apartment building.