A World Apart

Thanks for the review. Yes, Raven just keeps getting caught up in all these sticky situations *Meow*!



Chapter 19



This was my plan. Try to get away from school as fast as possible without anyone noticing. Unfortunately, it didn\'t work. I was only on the sidewalk leading away from school when I heard someone running up from behind me.



"Rave! Wait up!" Logan yelled, catching up with me and panting a bit.



"Logan, why are you doing this to me?" I asked, stopped, and turned in his direction.



He shook his head and frowned, “I just...I just thought that maybe you would enjoy hanging out with some new people. I thought that maybe you\'d like doing this fundraising thing for a good thing-"



"That\'s not what I\'m talking about and you know it!" I yelled.



He looked a little disappointed and looked away from me for a moment before his honey brown eyes met mine once again, "Rave. You know why. Do I have to explain it to you as well? You\'re making this so hard."



"What\'s so hard about it? Stop following me!" I said and pulled my slipping backpack.



I regretted what I had said the moment it came out of my mouth. His usually bright smile turned shallow and his eyes glazed over a bit. I had obviously hurt him. He shrugged a little shakily.



"If that\'s the way you want it..." He said softly, his honey eyes boring into my own sky blue ones.



He turned away from me and began walking towards school once again. I noticed the way his head hung sadly and his form seemed to sag. I had never meant to do that. I never meant to make him feel like that. I couldn\'t believe I actually regretted what I had said, but seeing him like that made me feel horrible. I watched him walk away for a moment and battled against the strange feelings I had towards him and also my need to keep my reputation.



"Logan," I said softly at first and when he didn\'t respond, I said it a little louder," Logan!"



He turned around and took a deep breath. In a steady, quiet voice, he asked," What? I think you got the point across quite bluntly."



I walked towards him, unconsciously avoiding the cracks in the sidewalk. I approached him and stood unimaginably close to him, "I\'m sorry. I...I didn\'t mean what I said."



"You make it sound like I have been stalking you or something. But everywhere I have been you just seem to follow. It isn\'t my fault that we always just seem to meet at the same place at the same time. I\'m so confused, Rave. The other night, when you were at my house, you were fine with what went on. But now...now it\'s like all you care about is what other people will say. Will you just make up your mind?" The tone of his voice was angry, not at all like him.



I glanced at him for a moment and nervously folded my arms together," I just...I don\'t know!"



His voice turned low and concerned," I don\'t know if you realize it or not, but you act totally different around me than you do other people. You\'re always fine with them, but you get skittish around me. I\'m a person too-"



"I know that, Logan."



"But you sure don\'t act like it."



I didn\'t say anything, but only looked over his shoulder, trying to avoid his gaze.



"Well, anyway. We made a quick stop to the office - without you. The principal gave us an okay for the fundraising. He said we had to earn at least half of it and the school board would pick up the rest. Would you still want to help us?"



I nodded slowly.



"Okay, well, I was wondering if maybe...you\'d want to go with me tonight. I\'ve got some errands to run around town for this fundraiser. I need to stop at the bank and talk to some people and get some supplies. Do you want to go with me...just for school?" He asked earnestly.



I sighed a bit loudly.



"If you don\'t want to, that\'s fine. I can do it on my own. Not a big deal. I just thought-"



"I didn\'t say no."



He stared at me for a moment," So you will?"



"Yes."



He smiled a little, "Good. I\'m grateful."



"Where do we have to go?"



We began walking towards the opposite side of the school, to a neighborhood I hadn\'t been in before, “I need to go visit my grandma. The girls want to have a bake sale. My grandma gets really into bake sales and I was thinking maybe she\'d want to help us out."



I walked next to him as we entered an older, but not any less nice, neighborhood. We walked on the sidewalk until we met a three story white house with yellow shutters and lots of flowers. I followed Logan up the few concrete stairs as he knocked on the door and waited for it to open. An elderly cat lady opened the door. Her hair was graying and she kept it in a long braid down her back. She wore a long floral dress and opened the door wider to see who it was.



"Logan! Good to see you!" She said happily and ushered us in, “Come in, come in. I just made some cookies. You two can help yourselves."



I thought it was strange that she didn\'t even ask who I was, but allowed me to enter as a family member. I sat down next to Logan in an old fashioned kitchen. Her table was straight from the 60\'s and was a moss green color. I could smell the cookies from the moment we entered. Logan helped himself to three cookies at first and stacked them on a napkin.



"How you doing, Gram?"



"Oh, pretty good, I suppose. My hip\'s been acting strange lately, but I am getting older, after all," She said brightly with the same brown eyes Logan has and turned to me, “Is he the one that your mom mentioned?"



Logan looked at me between a mouthful of cookies, “Mom? Oh...yeah, this is Raven."



"Well you two just make such a sweet couple!"



A choking sound could be heard from Logan, but I also noticed the smile that appeared on his lips. I had blushed and shook my head, all ready to defend myself.



"He\'s the one mom mentioned, but it\'s not like that, grandma. We\'re just friends," Logan said, taking a drink of water.



"Just friends?" She asked, staring at me and my red face, “Oh I see."



Logan turned to me with a little amused grin when his grandma winked at him. I was beat red by now and he laughed energetically and patted me on the back.



"She always likes to see her grandchildren meeting new people," He whispered.



"I can tell," I said and my eyes turned upwards, “I can\'t believe she wanted you to be with me, though."



He furrowed his brows, “Well, why not?"



I shook my head and he stared at me, “Oh right. I almost forgot how it\'s so different where you\'re from. You\'ve just got to get used to it, though. We just have to explain ourselves, is all."



He turned his attention from me and back to his grandma, “Gram, we\'re trying to save up for a bus to pick the kids up in the morning. The ones that live in the country and stuff - you know how it gets so cold. Well, we\'re trying to save up half the money for one and we\'re going to have a big bake sale. Do you think you could donate a few cakes and pies? We\'d really appreciate it!"



"Sure. I love to help you kids out. It\'s good to see the kids helping the community, too. I\'ll try to get some cakes together. I just went shopping yesterday and picked up some mixes. I may have to go get more! When is this going to happen?"



"Hopefully next weekend," He said, reaching for another cookie.



"Thanks Gram. We\'ve got a few more places to go, too. I\'ll call you later on, though," Logan said and took a drink.



"You\'re both welcome to take as many cookies as you want. I\'ve got another batch in the oven right now. Here, I\'ll get you both some plates, so you can take them home. That\'s why I make them, you know!"



I watched as the little woman went around the kitchen, searching for paper plates. She dumped bunches of cookies on a plate, put some saran wrap over it and handed one to me. She gave one to Logan next and we got up to leave.



"Good luck Logan," She said as we headed out the door.



It made me wonder what the luck was really for.