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As always, this is dedicated to my Gem. Your angelic voice sends me to the heights of Heaven.... and beyond! Thanks for the support my lil' soulmate.
Chapter 2
Raven pulled up into a roughly proportioned parking lot, her Uncle Charles's truck grinding to a sudden halt. She jumped smoothly out of the ancient vehicle and had a quick glance beneath its battered body, just to ensure that the exhaust pipe was still there. She could have sworn that it had dropped off a couple of miles back...
Accompanied by some of his buddies from the garage where he worked, Charles had decided to go for a few drinks. Raven had hence been left to her own devices, which pleased her immensely. Being curious of nature, she had wandered around her Uncle's trailer aimlessly, tidying up her allotted 'quarters', before dumping all of her personal belongings into one small compartment. After half an hour of scouring the trailer park for any form of entertainment and finding none at all, she had returned to her own humble abode.
Sitting inside the musty interior of her dank room; her stomach grumbling, her mind restless and her body craving some action, Raven decided that perhaps she'd head into town. After all, even Thursville was likely to have a Burger King or something that at least served half decent grub, right? Anything was better than her own home made gruel. Raven grinned, snorting as she envisaged her own culinary concoctions. Suicide by food poisoning...urrrggghhhhh!
So here she was, standing outside of what seemed, due to the heaving throngs of teenagers inside of the lighted building, to be perceived as quite a cool hangout. The 'Thursville Bumpkins' had evidently led somewhat sheltered lives. Raven shrugged her broad shoulders, her worn denim jacket clinging to and accentuating the supple muscles that clenched and then relaxed with every move she made.
The smell of cheeseburgers instantly assaulted her honed senses and she quickly surveyed the room with one quick glance of her pale blue eyes. Chairs and tables were cluttered everywhere, except for a small space near the centre of the room, which Raven presumed was a dance floor. How 1950's is that? she thought, with a snort of disbelieving disgust. At the opposite side of the Diner was a reasonably large food counter, with a neon sign above it announcing the limited variety of cardboard food available.
Raven quickly headed over that way, her stomach growling almost violently in reaction to the scent of food - no matter how unappetising and artery clogging it seemed to be. She stalked quietly towards the counter, arching her eyebrow in unseen amusement as the patrons began rapidly dispersing. You'd think these idiots were terrified of me or something!
A young teenager with a pitiful acne problem rushed up to serve the formidable looking stranger, his high and squeaky voice grating on Raven's already strained nerves.
"What can I get you?" He screeched in a pre-pubescent voice. Raven had to disguise a wince of irritation before she glared menacingly at him and replied, "Cheeseburger."
The 'squeaky' boy gulped, his face incredulous and eyes bulging in shock. His reaction was so extreme it was almost as if she'd just asked for his own head on a platter instead of a simple burger.
" Well?" Raven growled, becoming incensed by the kid's stupefied reaction. She was used to people reacting this way to her - most tended to stare at her as if they couldn't quite believe that she was real - but after a while this irritated her and when coupled with her volatile temper, things usually ended up becoming decidedly ugly. She especially couldn't be bothered with horny little jerk-offs like this pissant little creep, who was currently ogling her breasts with undisguised ardour.....
The boy almost leapt away in fright as a suddenly ominous edge crept into her rich voice. Quickly he set about preparing her meal, before she decided to do him damage.
*****************
Nicky had been listening reflectively to the friendly bantering going on between Stacy, Donna and May, three of her fellow cheerleaders, as they continued to quarrel over what colour Nicky's bridesmaid dress should be for her sister's wedding.
Stacy insisted that white was the perfect colour, as it highlighted the red/gold streaks in Nicky's hair, but May and Donna disputed such a horrendous notion, as although white would indeed accentuate Nicky's lovely hair, unfortunately Monica herself would naturally be wearing pristine white and so it would be very unproper of Nicky to wear the same colour as the bride.
They in turn thought that green would be the best bet, perhaps sage, or even better, a deep emerald which would bring out the sparkle in Nicky's own jade eyes to perfection.
Nicky smiled fondly at them all, thinking that if she told them the truth - namely that she didn't give a damn what colour her dress was - then they would perhaps keel over from the shock. Maybe it would even be worth saying it just to get that precise reaction from her often snobbish friends....Resist temptation Nicky, resist temptation...
Nicky groaned silently as Maria, another close if somewhat occasionally bitchy friend, launched into the discussion with her own personal preference of pink, when for some unknown reason Nicky felt the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and her senses become alert. The entire assemblage of the Diner suddenly quietened down from its usual noisy uproar.
Slowly Nicky raised her head as if in stilted motion, searching for the cause of the disturbance in the Diner and more significantly, in her own body. She took a sharp intake of breath, watching the captivating vision that had suddenly appeared before her eyes move swiftly across the crowded room. As the dark stranger passed by, people held their breath with anxiety, making them feel all too mortal and tediously dull next to the powerful aura that emanated from the dangerous looking stranger.
Blinking in disbelief, Nicky twisted around in her seat, trying and needing to get a better look at the young woman striding so purposefully and confidently toward the deli-counter. Her eyes copied the movements of the rest of the room, quickly scanning over the woman's perfectly sculptured body. She glanced back at Stacy, who for some reason was frowning quite thoroughly at the sudden appearance of this new member of Thursville's society.
Turning back to the incredibly tall woman, Nicky felt her eyes wander over the stranger's lithe physique. Wild, black hair hung half way down the strong expanse of her back, tumbling over impossibly broad shoulders. She had a smooth, slim waist, gently rounded hips and long, long legs - longer then Nicky had ever seen on any other person before. Nicky felt herself smile gently as she noticed the very generous swell of the woman's breasts....'I could do with a pair like that...' she mused to herself, slightly amused but predominantly awed.
Unconsciously she stood up, intending to walk over to the mysterious stranger. Unfortunately she was stopped, but by what she wasn't quite sure. Glancing down Nicky saw Maria's hand clamped around her slim wrist.
" Where the hell are you going Nicky?" Maria questioned in a harsh voice, her hazel eyes curiously inquisitive in response to Nicky's instinctive and somewhat strange reaction to the sudden appearance of the tall stranger.
" Huh?" Nicky replied stupidly, straining to get a glimpse of the dark woman, who was now out of her line of vision.
" Sit down," May hissed, her face turning slightly pink as those around them began to look curiously at the stunned expression on Nicky's usually placid face. Heedless to the attention, Nicky continued to gaze at the new girl in town.
A few moments later, as if suddenly realising what she was doing, the petite cheerleader snapped her eyes back to her friends. A puzzled frown settled upon her features as she asked herself why she'd felt such a strong impulse just to be...near...the dark stranger. Perhaps they had met somewhere before...? Slowly she shook off the hand that held her arm and sat down, willing herself not to continue her search for the beautiful woman.
" What were you doing Nicky?" Stacy asked curiously, although her eyes were also glancing around, looking for the stranger that had caused the throng of rowdy teenagers to part in awe upon her entrance. Nicky sighed, looking at her concerned friends. It's no good...I need to see her up close! Nicky mused, still glancing around for a glimpse of the formidable brunette.
" I...Umm," she started. Excuse, excuse....I need an excuse! Ah-ha! She beamed proudly as she hoisted up her almost empty glass." I was going for another drink. Anyone else want one?" she questioned, as she raised herself out of her chair. Her friends shook their heads and she watched as each of them followed the progress of the new arrival, their eyes reflecting both curious and hostile intentions.
This doesn't look good, she thought, shooting a quick glance at the group's less than hospitable countenances. She was surprised that her closest friends' would react this coldly to someone they had only just encountered. They don't even know her, for Christ's sake! It was a relief to know that other people were affected by the brunette's palpable presence, though. Apparently I'm not the only one to have weird feelings for this woman. She hesitated. Feelings? Nicky girl, you don't even know that ... Nicky felt a smile creep across her face as she located the stranger....incredibly gorgeous creature...whoa! Don't even go there sister!...And stop speaking to yourself!
Glancing around she saw open hostility in the faces of many of her fellow students, followed by what looked to be lust, envy, fear and awe. For example, poor Bobby who was presently serving the woman almost jumped out of his acne ridden skin with fear, staring at the beautiful woman with hesitation as Raven snarled back at him with impatience.
Gee, she's tall!' Nicky thought to herself, drawing increasingly closer to the dark woman. As she moved she felt other people watching her approach the stranger with interest. Obviously everyone else was as interested in this woman as she was. It was a rare occurrence for Thursville to acquire a new addition to it's small community.
Everyone had grown up with one another, they knew everyone else's names and their rigid position within the town's social circle. Thursville did not adapt well to, or even like, change of any kind. Old values remained, respect was expected and children obeyed their elders.....Mostly, Nicky grinned as she briefly remembered the telling off she had received from her Dad after Reverend Willson's sermon. Nicky took in the leather and rough denim that adorned the dangerously appealing stranger....now this was a woman who wouldn't bend to anyone's will.
So, seeing that this woman was an 'unknown' and therefore unpredictable in a town where predictability was part of everyday life, Nicky wasn't that surprised that the 'stuck in their ways' people of Thursville would resent this intriguing interloper.
Nicky looked down at her persistently tingling fingers in annoyance, unable to rid herself of the disconcerting sensation even when she rubbed them together roughly. She paused beside the woman, who was easily as tall as Brad, her lofty boyfriend. Aware that she was noticeably hesitating, her eyes rested upon the young server in a bid to create a feasible diversion. "Hey Bobby," she called cheerfully, peeping out of the corner of her eye at the silent stranger." Another refill please," she requested, placing the empty glass on the counter next to the stranger's tanned hand.
Abruptly the dark haired woman turned to look at her and Nicky inhaled sharply as she felt herself drowning in the most beautiful deep blue eyes she'd ever seen. No glorious summer sky or majestic clear lake could compare to the pale hypnotic gaze that had captured her and presently held her under an unbreakable spell. She could literally feel those cool sapphires sweep down her body ....over her pretty features.... across her blonde hair to rest briefly on her firm breasts and her trim legs.
Nicky held her breath and waited in anticipation for the inspection to cease.....and for the heat to stop spreading to places it had no right in spreading to!
"Here's your order Nicky," Bobby squeaked, interrupting the peculiar spell that had enveloped the two girls, who reluctantly ceased eye contact and averted their gazes with a certain amount of shy embarrassment.
Nicky watched as the woman, no correct that, up close you could tell she was younger than she looked, the girl dug deeply into her snug jeans for some money.
Watching her, Nicky picked up her refilled glass and felt a knot form in her dry throat as she followed the other girl's swift movements. The scent of leather and wild flowers teased her nose deliciously, eliciting a silent groan of pleasure from the blonde girl.
Nicky, none too subtly, admired the way those jeans sculptured the dark girls long muscular legs and encased her gorgeous thighs....Nicky gasped loudly, panicking at the train of her thoughts. To make matters worse the owner of those gorgeous thighs suddenly looked down at her and raised one dark brow in amused question.
Nicky grabbed hold of her drink as though it was her last life line on a sinking ship and abruptly turned away from the dramatically tall girl, deeply disturbed by her thoughts. As Nicky turned around, her wrist accidentally collided with Raven's elbow, resulting in the contents of the glass being emptied in a shitty brown stain all over the front of Raven's pristine white shirt.
Nicky cried out, her face comically hysterical as she recognised the silent irritation in the other girl's blue eyes.
" I...I am s-soooo sorry!" Nicky exclaimed, stuttering in her panic to apologise to the beautiful girl who was regarding her with.... not a very friendly expression. Both heard the snickers coming from all around the room. Nicky felt acutely embarrassed, especially for the silently furious Raven, who was making a valiant effort not to retaliate and kill half of the occupants within the Diner using her bare hands.
At that moment Maria cried out loudly like the fog horn she was, "Well done Nicky!!" A burst of applause quickly followed.' Oh no!' Nicky realised,' She thinks I'm humiliating her on purpose.'
Raven's previously cool gaze turned suddenly arctic, causing Nicky to take a fearful step back. Nicky watched in distress as Raven paid for her meal and strode purposefully towards the exit door, not even glancing back once at the scene of her embarrassment.
Nicky cringed once more as the laughter followed the other girl, her heart going out to Raven, who just straightened her broad shoulders in defiance as she stalked out of the Diner as quietly as she had entered it. Nicky cursed her friends who were still smirking in petty glee at the stranger's embarrassment, only one word springing to her chaotic mind," Shit."
******************
Raven angrily revved the truck's engine harshly once more, before switching the ignition off. Still stinging from her unpleasant experience in the Diner, she grabbed the now cold and greasy burger and dumped it in a bin sitting crookedly outside of the trailer. Unsurprisingly, she had completely lost her appetite.
Right now she felt like exploding into a fit of outrage, all of her frustration directed at those little shit heads back at the Diner. Under normal circumstances no one would have dared to laugh at her, especially that cute little blonde, what was her name?....The boy behind the counter had called her...Nicky?
She slammed the trailer door after herself and thought about the petite blonde girl with the shining emerald eyes ...and those other cheerleaders, the blonde's friends who had delighted in her humiliation. Raven cursed the cute blonde's name a thousand times, finding it difficult to get her pretty little face out of her outraged mind.
With that Raven strode towards the shower cubical, washing away the sticky remains of the cola which had saturated her shirt earlier on. Before going to bed, she silently hoped that sleep would help to appease her frustrated and restless mind. If not, then it was quite possible that mass murder would be occurring in little-town Thursville.
*****************
" Did you see what she was wearing?" cried Stacy, leaning closer to the other girls, creating a conspirational atmosphere. ' Oh no....' Nicky thought, realising that there had obviously been some unconscious decision to dump on and mock the new girl.
" See who wearing what?" came a deep voice from behind Stacy. A lean arm snaked its way around the girl's waist, causing her to giggle uncontrollably. Nicky glanced up, disturbed from her reverie, a welcoming smile replacing her thoughtful frown.
" Hey Donny!" she said waving a hand enthusiastically in greeting. May sat up straight in her seat glancing about in search of her own steady boyfriend.
" Where's Carl?" she asked, her head bobbing around like a boat let loose in a storm. Her mousy hair tossed violently with the motion, bouncing in to Maria's angry face and eliciting a splutter of outrage. Donny grinned, then nodded to the doorway, indicating that the rest of the 'in' group were entering the small-town establishment.
May jumped out of her seat and launched herself eagerly at Carl. Despite being a mere 5ft 8 inches tall, the stocky teenager made an impressive football captain and was greatly admired by most of his counterparts. The team's blonde star quarter back entered the Diner next, dodging the embracing couple and heading straight for Nicky.
Nicky barely had time to acknowledge Brad's presence before he scooped her up from her seat and squeezed the very breath from her.
"Just what I like to see," Brad grinned, his whiter than white smile glinting in the bright lights, making an impressive contrast to his gilded blonde hair. "A woman who appreciates being man-handled!"
Nicky tried frantically to loosen his grasp from around her, holding back her urge to gag at his words. She could feel her face turn red with exertion and a startled, "Ummmphh," escaped from Brad as Nicky's boot heel dug sharply into his foot.
" Oww!" he complained, shooting the retreating Nicky a hurt look as he hopped on one foot, trying to soothe its wounded partner." What was that for?"
Nicky almost scowled, her face slightly pink with her efforts to escape from his unwelcome bear-hug.
"You try being squeezed to death, see how you like it," she quietly huffed, straightening her rumpled clothes and ignoring the amused chuckles of her friends.
Brad grinned boyishly and looked at Nickly in a semi-sheepish manner as he apologised for his over enthusiastic embrace." It's just cos I like you so much," he said, shooting her a megawatt smile in an effort to lay the charm on thick.
Nicky grudgingly smiled back at him before patting the empty space beside her for him to sit in. He sat down and wrapped a muscled arm possessively around Nicky's slim shoulders.
"So, who were you talkin' about Stace?" Donny inquired as he picked up his twin sister's burger and bit heartily into it. Donna playfully swatted his arm, but did nothing to stop her brother from devouring the greasy bap in a minimal amount of time. Donny didn't even bother to empty the contents of his mouth before continuing. "I hear there's a new chick in town. Chucky, that trailer trash dude from The Park, said she was pretty nice lookin', too. Shame she's trailer trash though, I always appreciate new flesh." Donny belched out loudly and grinned as if he'd just performed some brilliant trick.
Only Nate, a dark and usually quiet member of the group refused to join in the boy's laughter. Nicky smiled at him and rolled her eyes good naturally, before he walked off to the juke-box to put some tunes on.
" Well you wouldn't like this 'chick'." May snorted after the guy's laughter had subsided a bit." She looks as if she could give you guy's a run for your money in the physique department! She's got shoulders the size of a soccer player."
" Well maybe we'll ask her to join the team then!" Brad chuckled and everyone, except Nicky, who was somewhat pissed off, joined in.
Nicky felt as though she should intervene or at least do something. Everyone was judging this new girl by her appearance and her reaction to this evening's 'drama'. Her friends jealousy wasn't helping the matter either.
"She seems quite nice actually..." Nicky began before she was abruptly interrupted.
"Well we weren't the one who dumped a glass of cola all over her!" Maria stated slyly, shooting Nicky a knowing look.
"B-but I didn't mean to..." she stuttered, flushing with frustration and the need to somehow protect the darkly silent girl.
Stacy snickered at Nicky's flustered appearance.
"Chill Nicky. We're all proud of you. Couldn't have done a better job of humiliating her myself!"
Brad squeezed her to him again, "That's my girl. We're not at the top of the chain for nothing," he whispered in her ear. "Trailer trash belongs in the gutter....but it would be fun to see how the other half lives, huh sweetheart?" he muttered as he proceeded to chew ineptly on her delicate ear lobe.
Nicky winced in pain, no longer determined to convince her associates of her innocence. If her closest friends didn't believe that she hadn't purposefully humiliated the stranger, then the beautiful girl certainly wouldn't. So why did that bother her so much?