16 Chapter Sixteen

Sitting down at his usual table in the cafeteria Raven was content with how average the day had gone by so far. Nothing weird had happened to him and no one seemed to look or approach him with the zombified stare like the night before.

Though even with this peace Raven's mind was nowhere at ease like he would be on a normal day. Playing with his food he just couldn't bring himself to eat anything. While the concerns of not knowing when his energy would run low causing him to be chased was present this was not why he wasn't eating. The food was dull in flavor, having no appeal to him and to top it off he just wasn't hungry.

While he was staring at his food Carson startled Raven by dropping his tray on the table before him. Raven looked up being brought back from his own world glancing at Carson's face. There was a present troubled expression making Raven narrow his brow wondering what was wrong. Though then his eyes fell upon the massive pile of food on his tray and Raven's previous concerns were quickly forgotten.

"Hungry?" Raven mocked finding it unusual for him to stray from his perfect diet.

Carson didn't respond, his mind was elsewhere barely even noticing Raven's presence as if he had just gone to the table by habit. This caused Raven to reach over tapping the counter top a little concerned with the unusual behavior to catch his attention.

"Ugh... yeah" He mutters rubbing his head while sitting down, "Ever since second period I have been tired and hungry so I'm just taking precautions before the game tonight." he explains.

Raven paused dropping his fork into the tray knowing this was his fault due to what he took from him. Looking at how Carson was eating he wonder if Jewels was affected the same way, though he imagined it was worse seeing as she was a lot smaller than him.

He was still angered by her but even so he didn't like the thought of what he may have done to either of them. He didn't want to see her again but he knew he needed to see what condition she was in now more than ever just to make sure she wasn't hurt. While Raven was thinking about how he would see her at the game later without approaching her some how he questioned if she would even be capable of coming.

While Raven was lost in thought Carson looked over at his untouched tray and wandering expression wondering if he still felt sick and that maybe something at the lounge had effected both of them. Trying to think of what he and Raven both came encounter with the thought of the girl from the laundry room popped into his mind and still bothered his thoughts.

With Raven right in front of him the similarity between the two became even harder to deny what he thought he saw. He wondered if what was bothering Raven may be that he was hiding something from him about last night though it made no sense on how this could have happened.

Things just weren't adding up for Carson to gather any theories nor did anyone seem to know why the wrestling team was almost all naked running through the halls, it had just became a big joke, making things worse.

A sigh left him while taking another bite of his food having to look away from Raven still too bothered by all of it when he noticed a wrestling member about to pass behind him.

"Hey Zach," He called out leaning back.

Carson reached out as he stopped him from passing knowing he was one of the ones that chased the girl down the halls, "Did anyone ever find out who that girl was?" he asked and this broke through Raven's absent gaze by finally bringing up their encounter.

Raven's heartbeat raced becoming nervous having his female self finally brought back into the topic. Trying not to show any signs of knowing what the topic at hand was about he avoids looking up to Zach. Since none of them that were involved in the chase shared classes with Raven he hadn't actually ran into anyone but Carson who knew of what happened. Fearing anything could connect him there at this point if he were to look the wrestler in the eyes. He kept his head low and eyes focused on the food that he still wasn't interested in eating though he forced himself to start to appear distracted.

Zach stopped, looking down at Carson's question arching his brow like he had no clue what Carson spoke of, "Girl?"

"Yeah the one you and the team chased through the halls last night... was she not caught or something?" Carson reminded him though he even became reluctant to continue explaining seeing as it only seemed to confuse him further.

Zack gave out an awkward chuckled glancing over to Raven for a moment, who didn't want to look up at him then back to Carson. "Honestly I don't really know why we were in the halls but I'm sure if it was a girl we would have heard about it this morning."

"Okay..." Carson hesitantly accepted Zach's explanation, the story was becoming more bizarre by every person he talked with. No one remembered her nor did the people involved in the chase to what it seemed making it almost appear to be a dream.

"Hey if you figure out what we were doing out there I'd sure love to know why I was almost suspended for a week," Zach stated while patting Carson on his shoulder as he walked past him, "Good luck on the game tonight though"

"Yeah, thanks" Carson muttered throwing his hand up to wave him off. Looking back to his tray he began to stare off while he tried figuring out which part of his memory was fabricated through a dream. It was clear that the team was in the halls but he didn't know where that changed from reality or why he didn't remember going back to the room.

Unfortunately Carson couldn't get any of it from his mind to the point that it was bothering him knowing it all seemed to be real. To the point that even if he tried to pull it apart, the only parts that didn't seem real to him was when he saw Raven and the fact that he was the only one who remembered her, "No one seems to remember that girl from last night" Carson grumbled aloud by mistake.

Raven slowly glanced up from his food as Zach walked away from them. It took him a bit to register what he had said but after catching that no one remembered his female version this made him able to calm his nerves some.

After finding his confidence Raven looked at Carson and wondered why he seemed to be the only one to remember. Though it was risky he decided to continue the conversation hoping maybe something would be said being able to figure out why Carson was the only one that recalled.

"What girl?" He inquired pretending he didn't know as well.

Carson looked up for a moment biting at his lip wondering if he should disclose the full details of what happened since Raven was involved in the memories. Deciding against it knowing he would be mad he carefully spoke, "Somebody's girlfriend was roaming the halls last night before you got home. The whole wrestling team was trying to catch her so naturally I intervened" He explains in a vague manner then took a bite from his plate.

Folding his arms over one another Raven sat back in his chair looking up to him wondered if Carson was purposely leaving out the other details that he would usually talk about no matter how bad it went.

"The whole wrestling team, that's a bit odd?" Raven pried further now more interested in why Carson wasn't telling him anything else knowing it was clear he remembered the kiss.

"Yeah you'd think" Carson muttered in response thinking about the team, "They were even wearing towels it was so strange like something from a porno but still they don't seem to remember her" he adds.

Raven rolled his eyes to how Carson would see it as a porno rather a zombie flick, "In that case maybe you dreamed it" he suggested already tired of listening to Carson. No longer caring for him to remember any more of it thinking it wouldn't affect them leaving him with the only thing he seemed concerned about being that he was alone in the knowledge of her.

Carson looked up to Raven at this statement and gave a cocky grin, "I don't dream about kissing redheads like you do" He teased and gave a wink not even thinking about what he said finding a opportunity to tease Raven about his dream girl.

The sudden urge to kick Carson's sheen from under the table had to be resisted only allowing Raven to give an nasty glare towards Carson's remark.

"Hmph," Though he hated it Carson did have a point. He doubted Carson would ever consider a redhead as his type he just happened to be under the influence at the time. Letting out a grunt resting his chin in the palm of his hand while he placed his elbow on the table it dawned on him as to why Carson wasn't talking about it.

This made Raven grin making eye contact with him once more, "So you kissed the girl last night and she wasn't your type?" he questioned with a sarcastic tone.

Carson began to cough as he choked on the bite of food in his mouth. Raven's grin only gained more arrogance as Carson showed just how right he was in this assumption. Carson wiped his mouth covering his face with a napkin leaving it there for a bit to cover his face while he didn't look back at Raven. He had not noticed what he said and was caught too off guard to respond right away.

Raven focused in on the shade of pink that Carson had turned for a brief moment not sure if it were do to the embarrassment or the food, he found it amusing either way. Carson cleared his throat and looked up to Raven pulling the napkin away finally back to normal.

Other than being caught off guard he didn't act like anything was wrong though Raven couldn't help but wonder if he still remembered seeing him there before he passed out. But even if Carson could remember him up to that point it was looking like there wasn't going to be any clear reason for his memory to still be present. Since Carson didn't even seem to understand why he was the only one who remembered Raven decided to drop it.

"I wonder why no one else remembers?" Raven mumbled aloud to himself looking up to the ceiling, he was relieved that he could possibly just pull this off like it were just a dream being only Carson but it still bothered him not knowing why.

"That's because they were practically animals following you at that point, unless they were the one who fed you they wouldn't remember anything about you nor the pheromones that affected them" Menay's voice broke through Raven's thoughts making him almost fall back in his chair startled.

Resting his feet firm on the ground Carson looked at him funny for a moment not sure what just happened, "You alright?" he asked a bit suspicious with a slight hint of a chuckle. Only to have his suspicion worsen by Raven frantically looking around the cafeteria.

Raven panics to hear Menay's voice not sure if he could communicate with him from a distance or while in child form like this he looked around the cafeteria for either the cat or child, hoping to find the cat but over all wishing he was still back in the room.

Looking around he couldn't see anything unusual then Raven spotted him, in the cat form, over by the lunch line sitting down just looking over to them. This makes Raven question aloud without thinking, "What is he doing?" he snarls.

Carson looked around to where Raven was looking. Seeing Menay just sitting there in plain sight he was dumbfounded and became speechless.

"What, you didn't expect me to eat that poor excuse for food in you room did you?" Menay stated as he stood rubbing against the door to catch the staff's attention, "The lunch lady's a cat lover and I'm hungry now. You can pick me something up later but for now I can feed myself." He explains as she answers to his calls opening the door into the kitchen.

Raven growled as he rubbed the brim of his nose frustrated with how Menay just walked into the kitchen without anyone batting an eye at the unusual event. He even questioned just how often Menay really came to the school to know the cafeteria lady so well.

"Isn't that Menay?" Carson asked with a confused expression still trying to figure it out. He was sure their room door was locked and that there was no way for a cat to get out of it without being let out.

Raven let out a sigh, if he hadn't already had a lost of appetite he did for sure now, "No, I'm quite sure it's not"

Carson scoffed he knew for a fact that was Menay there was no mistaking, besides that the chances that a random cat would be staring over at them at the same time Raven looked over to him was little to none, "Come on we should catch him what are the chances that there is a cat that looks exactly like yours in our school." He declares and begins to stand.

"I'm telling you that's just some dumb... smelly... stray cat, don't bother. Menay's to fat and lazy to get out of our room" Raven insist further looking back to his plate pretending not to care.

"Rude" Menay remarks having heard Raven's insult.

"Here" Raven snarls sliding his tray to Carson no longer in the mood to be around the general area.

Carson looked down at the hardly touched plate looking back up to Raven curious, "Leaving already?"

"Yeah," he responded standing from the table about to walk away he paused looking back to Carson unable to resist his curiosity, "Oh, why do you care about that girl from last night anyways?" Raven inquiries as to why Carson wasn't telling him about their kiss though seeking information from everyone else.

Carson looked up at Raven for a minute causing a long pause between them as if he were lost to the question. Like a switch came on Carson looked back down to his plate of food and shrugged off his response like it was nothing, "No reason, I just need to apologize to her boyfriend. I must have had more to drink than I thought last night."

Raven huffed licking at his lower lip agitated by the response though he didn't know what part bothered him most. He was sure it was because Carson didn't feel concerned enough to apologize to him but rather some fictitious boyfriend that he assumed existed in the first place, "Whatever" Raven snarled walking away.

"What?" Carson asked watching him leave not sure why he had just got attitude from Raven finding it uncomfortable for that very moment.

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