Everything had a slight yellow color from the lights overhead as Raven waited for the last bell of the day. He glanced around the room wondering how many of his fellow classmates he would see again after graduation the next week. His eyes caught on his best friend and he felt the smile start to slip over his face. The young man sitting quietly on the other side of the room had been Raven's best friend for years. They were nearly complete opposites in every way, but they had become fast friends. The day Matthew had arrived scared and alone on the first day of second grade Raven became his friend and protector. As Raven's mind started to drift his attention was recaptured by the instructor's voice. "Well everyone I want to thank you for a good year. I hope your summer goes well." Moments later the bell rang releasing school for the last time until fall.
Raven stood up, gathered his things and slipped from the room without a word to anyone. At his locker he grabbed the leather backpack he always carried his things in and started to turn away leaving the door hang open. "Hey thought you were going to wait for me?" The voice came from behind him causing him to jump and bash his shoulder into the open locker door.
"I'm still here aren't I?" he spun around and was immediately caught by Matthew's vibrant green eyes. His mind spun for another moment before he was able to get everything under control.
"True, but I wondered with the way you bolted after class." Matthew continued opening his own locker and grabbing his patchwork backpack out of it.
"Are we still heading out to the lake in the morning?" Raven asked turning to head down the hall toward the main doors of the school.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world." he tossed his patchwork bag over his shoulder with a smile. "I mean, a weekend with no parents and no responsibility. How can it go wrong?"
Raven just smiled, he wasn't about to voice any of the thoughts running through his mind. There wasn't anything he could think of that would make him tell the secret that he had kept since the summer before his freshman year. "Right. Just a pair of guys hanging out and getting drunk. Nothing bad can possibly come of that." he laughed.
The two of them made their way out of the school and across the parking lot to Matthew's car. As usual raven climbed in behind the wheel as Matthew gracefully dropped into the passenger seat. "You know someday I should really think about actually driving my own car once."
As he pulled out of the parking lot Raven glanced over at his friend, "Right you only let your parents buy the thing because you hated riding the bus. You don't use it other than for me to drive you back and forth to school, and anywhere else you need to go that you can't get your grandmother to take you."
"So, I enjoy letting you drive me around." he responded turning away to look out the window and hide what he knew must be shining in his eyes. It wasn't time yet to tell that secret. He didn't know if it ever would be.
Raven caught the sad look in his friend's eyes just before he managed to turn away, "What's got you worried Matthew?"
Matthew took a deep breath and faced his friend. It looked like time had come to get at least some of it out in the open. "I got accepted at State. Got the letter yesterday."
Raven's eyes flashed with pride for his friend, "That's great. So why are you worried?" he asked with a grin.
The light of pride in Matthew's eyes faded, "That's on the other end of the state." he said simply.
Raven suddenly knew what was bothering his friend, "You mean to tell me you are worried about the two of us leaving this foolish little town to face the big city and college life?" he fought to keep a straight face as he watched Matthew's face brighten.
"You ass. You didn't tell me you got your letter too."
"Nope, I was going to tell you this weekend. My parents don't even know yet." Raven smiled maneuvering the mustang around one of the hairpin turns at the edge of town. He loved driving the car, and knew it was going to be hard to leave it behind for a year as freshman couldn't have cars on campus.
"So we head to State this fall. Nice. After all they do have the best criminal law department on the west coast." Matthew knew it wasn't his only reason for wanting to go to State, but he was too scared still to admit the rest of the reasons to anyone but himself.
Raven smiled and carefully maneuvered the car down the road leading out of town, "My house or yours?"
Matthew laughed, "Yours, mine is a mess with packing and all. You also have the better TV."
"You mean my parents have the better TV. Mine is already packed and waiting in the garage to go to State." Raven told him slowing to a stop in front of an iron gate crossing the road. He waited while Matthew climbed out and opened the gate. They had done this so many times before that he wasn't surprised when he waited for him to pull through instead of getting back in the car before he closed and locked the gate behind them.
"You know I never did understand why your parents gate this place. It's not like they are rich or anything."
