They had been sitting in the chairs for exactly 15 minutes when the intercom announced that the flight from San Diego, California was arriving. Jay had seen Xander dozing off for the last few minutes and he thought that he would have to wake him up so he could find Raven. However, when he looked at Xander it took him by complete surprise to see him wide-awake and rushing over to someone in the crowd of unloading passengers. Jay still fairly certain that they were meeting a male friend decided that he’d sit down for a while longer until Xander came back over to the seats, he glanced over at the location where he’d last seen Xander and saw him hugging somebody. Xander was facing him so he couldn’t tell what the person looked like, but he was positive that it was a woman. He stood staring at them for what seemed like a eternity until the girl was on her own feet and facing him, he was content on just basking when suddenly she turned her head and made eye contact with him.
     She had been staring at him with such intensity that he unconsciously started walking over to their position. While she had her attention on him he took the time to take in her appearance and too figure out what he was going to say, the more he noticed about her physical appearance the more apprehensive he became. I have a good reason to be apprehensive; great I’m remembering words from my high school psychology class. But, what warm-blooded male wouldn’t be nervous when approaching her? Just look at her. Sure she might be short, she can’t be over 5’2 or 5’3 in height, but her height fits the rest of her appearance. Whatever made her mom decide to name her Raven it wasn’t because of her hair, she must have some Irish or Scottish in her. By name one would think her to have dark brown or black hair, instead of the shockingly bright red hair that hangs down to the middle of her back. Even though she has that red hair, her eyes aren’t green from what I can tell they’re brown or a very dark hazel color. She surfs? You wouldn’t think it since she doesn’t have a dark tan, or really any tan for that matter, her skin is a very light shade of.... I guess you’d call it beige. I don’t know, but it looks good on her. And would you just look at that outfit? The sky blue tank top goes great with her hair, and I love those dark blue, almost black, low-rise jeans, they’re high enough to be respectable but low enough to show a little of that flat stomach, and is that a bellybutton ring? Oh I love that black bandana with gray flames on it. She must have decided to wear something comfortable since she’s wearing matching sky blue flip-flops.
      Jay fortunately snapped himself out of his reverie when he came within hearing distance of them, and also because Xander had talked to him. “Jay man this is the incredibly annoying, fantasy reading, heart stealing, long-board surfing, rock and rolling, amazingly loyal, redheaded kung fu queen Raven!” Raven started laughing at her introduction; it wasn’t a forced laugh, but a completely genuine laugh. “Ignore him please, I know I do.” At this little remark Xander’s reaction is mock hurt, she immediately responds, “Aww, come on Xan you know I love you, and your eccentric self, but you also know that I must ignore you at least a little bit so you keep your novelty.”
      She says this with only a tiny hint of sarcasm, but mostly with the knowledge that what she’s saying is an inside joke. “See our good friend Xander here does the same introduction to everyone of his male friends when I meet them for the first time. Granted he might pull the overprotective big brother routine and add in ‘boyfriend having’ when he doesn’t really like the person I’m being introduced to, or they might be completely wrong for me. But to make this introduction more civilized let’s do this the normal way.” Before Jay can speak Xander interrupts Raven by saying, “Normal way? There is a normal way of introducing you to somebody? Don’t answer that. Yes, there might be a normal way, but am I a normal person? Don’t answer that either.” During this exchange Jay noticed that Raven didn’t have a complete Californian accent, it sounded to him like she had a little bit of a Southern accent mixed in. Although, he still came to the conclusion that it sounded really great coming from her.
     Her voice being directed his way made him smile internally,Okay being dragged out of bed while being hung over might not have been such a bad thing.“Now where were we, kidding, I remember exactly where we were, we’re at the NORMAL introduction. Hear that Xander, normal. Anyway, I’m Raven O’Neil and it’s nice to finally meet you after hearing Xander talk about you, almost non-stop.” He took her offered hand and noticed with some pleasure that it fit perfectly within his grasp. “I’m Jay Fowler, and as you can tell I’m Australian, but I hope you don’t find me too rude or prying when I ask you a question. Xander said you were from San Diego, but you don’t have a complete Californian accent sounds like you have a little Southern mixed in is that right or am I suddenly tone deaf?”
     Jay thought he might’ve offended her when he asked about her accent, but apparently her silence was just thinking of an answer that wouldn’t make her sound stupid, crazy, or both. After a few moments of surprisingly comfortable silence she replied smoothly, “You’re right I don’t have a full Californian accent, I do have some Southern accent mixed in. A long story short, born in San Diego grew up there but when I was 15 I started spending Christmas and a little part of the summer in Alabama. That was the same year I met Xander, and since I stay in Alabama so much during the year I kinda keep a little Southern accent all year long. Do you like?” Jay wasn’t sure if he even had time to think before he heard himself saying, “Yeah, I like it a lot. Before it gets so cold it’s unbearable to drink, here’s some coffee. I think Xander said it was ‘French Vanilla’, is that okay?”
     He smiled when she suddenly announced in a semi-giddy voice while taking the pre-offered thermos, “Are you kidding? I love French Vanilla coffee, or cappuccino, in fact anything that has caffeine in it I would probably drink it right about now. Because I might not seem it, but the second I get in the truck my jetlag will come back tenfold. Wait, I wouldn’t drink anything, because nothing in this world would get me to drink Tab. I can’t stand it, I’ve only drunk it once and that was only after losing a bet to Xander. Speaking of a bet, Xander I have gotten you back for that, right? Don’t answer that, nothing could make me forget what you had to do when you lost the next bet we made.” While watching this conversation between his best friend Xander, and Xander’s best friend Raven, Jay was deep in thought.This is new, normally I would mind it somewhat when left out of a conversation that I wanted to be a part of, but with them talking the way they are it feels like I’d be intruding. Plus I get to notice other things about Raven while she’s not putting up her guard such as her bellybutton isn’t the only thing she has pierced she has a small lavender ring going through her left eyebrow. She also has her cartilage pierced on both ears, but instead of colored metal she just has silver rings. It also looks like she has both her earlobes pierced about 3 times; she has one small silver hoop in the middle surrounded by two small lavender hoops. She barely has any makeup on, but she doesn’t really need it, for some reason her with tons of makeup on just doesn’t seem that it would look right on her.Jay was pulled back to reality when Raven started talking to both him and Xander, “Come on guys I wanna get my board and get out of here. Oh do you think we can stop by McDonalds on the way if I’m not asleep, I’d kill for a chicken biscuit and one of those hash brown patty things.” She starts walking off in the first direction she picks, she stops and then turns back to us with a sheepish smile on her face, “Where exactly is the baggage claim?” Xander and I just look at each other then back at her. We walk the few paces towards her with smiles on our faces, I take the messenger bag that she had set down when she turned back toward us and Xander led her towards the direction.

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