XXX
Undefendably Defensive
~~~

Gar
Incoming call - 2:34 pm

Gar
Incoming call - 3:10 pm

Gar
Incoming call - 5:43 pm

Gar
Incoming call - 6:59 pm

Gar
Incoming call - 7:27 pm

"He's called me 5 times in 5 hours."

"And now he hasn't called you since then?"

"No. It's been like 3 hours. Do you think something is wrong, mom?"

"Maybe he's feeling guilty? I hope he is..."

"But tomorrow's his birthday..."

"I know, Raven."

Raven sits and cradles her phone in her right hand. She's making circles with her thumb on the screen.

"Don't worry about him, Raven. He says he's got himself under control. Tomorrow shouldn't be a problem." I hope. "I'm going to go to bed. Try to do the same and get some sleep ok?" Arella kisses her daughter softly on the forehead and closes the bedroom door behind her. Leaving Raven alone with her thoughts. An arguably dangerous choice.

Her phone rings and she jumps out of her skin. It broke more than just the deafening silence in the house.

"Kori?" She falters, then taps on the little green button. "Why're you calling so late?"

"Hello to you too Raven." She replies flatly.

"Sorry, Kor, I'm a little–"

"Stressed? I can hear it in your voice."

"It's that obvious?"

"Yes, and I believe that I can guess why."

"Yeah whoop-dee-doo you caught me, I'm worried about, Gar. I did tell you what I said to him right?"

"You did. You didn't mean it did you?"

"Please stop figuring me out. It's making me anxious."

"Sorry..."

She sighs, "It's fine... I'm just all over the place right now."

"It is understandable. You and Gar are very close after all. It will not be easy when trying to get him out of your head. If that is what you even want that is."

"You're right...but I can't just act like what he did was OK. What he said was uncalled-for. I'm not letting him get away with that."

"Good! I do not like what he did either!"

"But?" She knows it's coming.

"But remember: he is not mentally well."

"I know..." she swallows. "I know."

"I've been thinking recently about him you know. Trying to reason as to why he chose to do that too you."

"Really? Kori you're not usually good at thinking. Are you ok? Or am I just talking to Dick who screwed with her phone?"

"Hey!! I can be thoughtful about things just as much as he can! Ahem, anyways," Raven chuckles a bit to herself. Leave it to Kori to make her smile at a time like this. "He clearly has a problem with change he does not instigate himself. Take the way you look for instance: based on what you told me he seemed a bit bothered by your hair. Now the events of late have been huge changes to what he knows."

"He has to get over it. He's so hung up on our stupid promise that he doesn't realize what's right in front of him. That's why he's overwhelmed."

"Promise?"

"I never told you about it? Before he left all those years ago we promised eachother we'd never change. That nothing would be different when we met again."

"That...sounds absolutely absurd."

"No kidding. But he's sunk his claws into it And now he won't let go."

"Perhaps you should try and help him let go. Tell him something so Earth shattering to him that he'll realize the reality of it."

Raven pulls up the side of her mouth awkwardly. Her lips part just a little, and she exhales. She speaks with brevity, "Absolutely not."

"But, Raven–"

"No Kori! Can we please change the topic?!"

Nothing is coming from the other end of the phone.

"So will you be going to see him tomorrow?" She answers with a sigh.

"I'm not sure." She goes with it. "I honestly kinda want to let him suffer..."

"Goodness, Raven..."

"I know I know it's evil. But I'm feeling kind of evil at this point."

"No you are not because you are thinking of going to see him."

"Hey Kori?"

"Hmm?"

"Could you do me a favor and stop being right?"

"Hey! It is not often! I am on the roll too!"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh. Dick and I apologized to Gar, and somehow got Vic to as well. I know he did you the most wrong but like you said, this is between you and Gar and you two only. I did not want him to feel completely abandoned."

"Like the way he completely abandoned me?"

"Well–"

"You realize that he has other friends. The Manticores, his friends back in Washington."

"I only thought–"

"Yeah. You thought. You thought wrong. Nobody should be apologizing to him until he apologizes to me. If I can't get that why should he? It doesn't teach him anything, Kori."

"But he his not in the same situation as you! He is ill! You cannot treat him the same we would you!"

"I'm not saying PTSD isn't serious, but why do you think he was hiding it for so long? I'm sure he doesn't want to be treated differently now that it's out there." She starts furiously tapping her fingers on the bed. "Especially now! Don't give him special treatment because of it! Especially since he acted the way he did! Let him get his act together first! He doesn't deserve your kindness right now! Give him time at least to think on his own without something else getting in the damn way!"

"Raven,"

"What?" She says through bound teeth.

"You just transitioned from defending him, to slandering him, to defending him again."

She pauses, shuts her eyes.

Shuts her eyes, tightens her fist.

Then hangs up the phone and tosses it across the room in one flawless, continuous motion.

"Forget it. I'm not going over there."

~~~

Who thinks she's going over there?

Also apologies for the short chapters lately. I haven't had too much time to think about the book since I've been working on fleshing out a Webtoon I want to make! Well, that school, softball, marching band, dance... eh you get the idea.

I'm off from school tomorrow though so I'll definitely get a chapter up!

9/22 EDIT: I need to stop making promises I can't keep

Word Count: 1051