Xander glares at him for a few more seconds and says evenly, “No more questions, no more assumptions, no more talking. Just get in that shower and get ready. I’ll fix you a cup of coffee and some toast, well if you’re out of that shower in 10 minutes you will have toast. If not you will just have to deal with the coffee, oh and to refresh your complete lack of memory, thanks to that hangover, you are supposed to drive me to airport so I can meet my friend Raven who is arriving at 6.” Xander pauses what he is saying to catch his breath and to push Jay towards the bathroom, and to see Jay squirm slightly at the glares that he’s not used to receiving. “Oh, just to make myself perfectly clear, this is Raven’s first time on a plane alone, if you are wondering why this would be the first time for a 17 year old to be alone on a plane it’s because Raven hates flying. So quit standing there gawking at me like I’m a pretty girl at a Halloween party who’s dressed up in a Naughty Nurse outfit and just get READY!” Jay has known Xander for about 5 years now and he knows that if Xander promises somebody that he’ll be there at a certain time, he will move mountains to get to wherever he promised and not even an apocalypse can stop him. “Okay, okay. I’m going. I’m going. No need to get all drill sergeant-y on me.” Jay hurriedly says, but Xander glaring at him once more he decides to shut up completely and rush to the bathroom trying not to look like a scalded puppy.
Normally it would probably take Jay close to half an hour in a shower if he didn’t have a surfing competition or a prior engagement. But today he didn’t stand under the hot water that long, especially with Xander in the mood he is in, the shower ended up only taking him 5 and a half minutes. He stood in his Mandarin-like room, looking into his closet for something to wear, he decided that he’d wear his white tank-top that had a the dark blue letter J on it near the shoulder. He’d match that tank with a pair of his white and lime green Hawaiian print shorts. Glancing at the clock briefly before he walks out of his bedroom he notices that he has made the 10-minute deadline with only seconds to spare, guess I’m getting only coffee. Doesn’t really bother me though my stomachs doing flip-flops, whether from the hangover or because I’m nervous bout meeting Xander’s friend Raven I’m not sure. Why am I nervous bout meeting Raven? Oh yeah, maybe because Xander hasn’t been able to shut up bout him or her since he got word that Raven was on his or her way to Sydney, and that was bout a month ago.
Xander was leaning against the front door while he was waiting for Jay to get out of the bedroom, he didn’t think Jay would make the 10-minute time limit so he didn’t even bother with the toast. He had 3 thermos’ full of French Vanilla Cappuccino, 2 of them were obviously for Jay and himself the last one was for Raven. I hope they had something on the plane that somewhat resembled coffee and I really hope they had an unlimited supply of Dr. Pepper. Also for the airline’s sake I hope they had fresh fruit, or else I might be going to the airport to see her arrested for assault or worse.Xander looks up to see Jay come out of the bedroom, “Come on. I’ve got the coffee now hurry up cause I’m telling you if we don’t get there on time, and I’m not exaggerating, it is highly likely that we will find Raven extremely mad at us, and the airport, and at jet-lag.” Jay replies while taking the offered thermos, “What should we take the car or truck?” He gets his answer immediately, “The truck. There’s just something about Raven and trucks, even has one at the house. Also likes the fact that there is more room to maneuver around on long rides, and they’ll be room for Raven to put the surfboard inside.” Suddenly more curious,and nervous if that is even possible?Jay asks, “So this Raven surfs? Do you think after the jet lag wears off, he or she will feel like hitting the waves?” His reply was a muffled, “Most likely, now hurry up” without his realizing it Xander had closed the apartment door. Speaking to himself Jay replied curiously, “Now I’m really wondering why Xander hasn’t mentioned if Raven was a guy or girl, he’s talked bout him or her for an entire month. Oh god, if Raven is a girl either Xander is completely in love with her and that being the only reason he’s is not with Faith, or he is planning on trying to get me and her together. Only question is, if Raven is a girl, which one do I want more?”
About 20 minutes later a hung over Jay and an extremely anxious Xander were driving around the airport parking lot. They were trying to find a parking space that would be in a place that could easily be remembered, and close enough for Xander’s jet-lagged friend to walk to without much complaining. It took them about a good 15 minutes more to find a parking space that they could at least remember, however, they both suspected that they would be hearing Raven complain. Since they would have to ride the elevator up to the 3rd floor parking deck, and then walk to the end of said parking deck they were completely certain that she would complain about that for at least the rest of the day.She might complain, but she’ll only complain when she finds a way to work humor into it. Such as if Jay or myself were complaining about the traffic, then she’d definitely complain,thought Xander.
During the long, soothing ride down the elevator Jay looked down at his wrist to check the time, but he noticed with some annoyance that he had forgotten it on his bed stand. So he picked the next best thing to find out the time, he asked Xander, “Hey Xan. Do you have your watch on ya?” A nod was his only reply so he asked further, “Then would you mind informing me of the time then buddy?” It took his friend a few seconds to reply since he had apparently been zoning out but his reply came as soon as he was out of his daydream, “Uh, the time is,” glances down at his watch, “5:15. Great that means that by the time we get to the actual receiving part of the airport it’ll be 5:45 or possibly a little later. So we might actually be on time to pick Raven up, for our sakes I hope that’s the case.”
Jay had been wondering for the last month why Xander would sometimes say things like ‘for our sakes’ when he was referring to something involving this Raven friend of his. He normally would’ve asked Xander the question point-blank, but maybe it was the fact that him and this Raven had been best friends since he had went to the states for Christmas vacation 2 years earlier. “So why is it that whenever you mention something going wrong around Raven you start talking like you’d actually be attacked or something?” Jay noticed that his friend was quiet for a few minutes, apparently he was trying to find a way to answer the question. “Well majority of the time I’m just playing, it’s not like Raven would actually hurt anybody considered a friend. See the thing is that Raven is very loyal to somebody that earns friendship and trust, maybe it’s because of the fact that Rave’s birthfather Victor left right after her mother died.” Xander paused to catch his breath for a few moments, and then the elevator door opened to the last level of the parking deck. Jay had heard the majority of the answer but he had been so caught up in the speech that he didn’t remember if Xander had said his or her when he mentioned the mother’s death. As soon as they had gotten through the crowd of tourists and locals that were in front of the elevator Xander continued, “Raven is the oldest of 6 children, a total of 4 girls and 2 boys. They are very close in age, so close in fact I lose track of how far apart the birthdays are, so don’t even ask me. All I know is that the mom died when Raven was about 6 years old, then about 6 months after the death Victor up and left with no explanation at all.”
He paused again, but this time Jay knew that it was to reign in his anger and not to catch his breath, this part of the speech was hitting a little to close to home for Xander. “So anyway, after that they were left in the care of their Grams but she passed away when Raven was 15. They would’ve been sent into immediate foster care and probably separated if it hadn’t been for the fact that Grams had left them to an old family friend of hers. After the funeral the guardian who ended up being a Navy Admiral had put in for a transfer from Norfolk, Virginia to San Diego, California that way the kids wouldn’t have to deal with a move so soon after the funeral. But to skip ahead as to why I say that, basically she has a brown belt in Tae Kwon Doe and she also has a temper that would rival some of the more ruthless Australians. No offense mate. Also she tends not to trust new people right away and even though she won’t ever admit it, one of her biggest fears is that the people she does trust will turn their back on her.” Jay asks after a few moments, “Why does she fear that ‘people will turn their back on her?’ I mean what has happened to her for that to be one of her fears?”
Xander doesn’t need to think for the answer it comes immediately, almost second nature, “I would tell you, but that really isn’t my place. That is strictly for Raven to tell you, if you get told then you get told. If you don’t get told then you don’t get told. But don’t go expecting that it’ll happen the second Raven gets picked up, or a few days from now. Don’t expect it, and that’s when you’ll get the privilege of being one of the few people who know.” Jay couldn’t really articulate an answer that wouldn’t make him sound completely stupid, so he just decided to keep silent. Apparently that was just fine with Xander since he continued talking after the few moments it took them to look at the board to check which flights were where and if said flights were on time. “Just so you know, I’m sorry that I’ve gotta be all cryptic guy on ya. You just have to understand that it’s not that I don’t want to tell you everything there is to know bout Raven, it’s just that for one thing it’s not my place to tell the entire life story. Secondly, half the fun of knowing Raven is finding things out as time goes by. Also I don’t know everything that has happened in Raven’s life, granted I know a great deal, but Faith is the main person who knows everything. Faith is like another sister to Raven, and I’m pretty positive that if Raven could make Faith a biological sister then she would do so. But, don’t think you’ll just be able to find out all that is Raven from Faith, cause she won’t tell you anything unless Raven says it’s okay or she thinks that you desperately need to know it.”
They reached the receiving area waiting chairs with exactly 15 minutes to spare before the plane was scheduled to land, and since the plane would be arriving on time it looked like they wouldn’t have to wait that long. Immediately after seeing the plane was going to arrive on time Jay plopped down into the closet chair, he then regretted that decision when said chair ended up being rock-hard against his back. While Jay stretched out in the chair he was trying to figure out if Xander’s nervous pacing was amusing or annoying, he decided after a few moments of thought that it was a little of both. Although as soon as he thought that Xander sat down Jay thought,wonder why he sat down?“Cause the only thing it’s succeeding in doing is making me more tired.” It took Jay a few seconds to realize that he asked the question out loud.