A.N/ You know, when people asked for more Dick/Babs, you should have precised that you didn't want angst... xP I didn't even re-read this before posting, so tell me what you think of it. Is angst my thing, or should I stick to fluff?

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Barbara Gordon sighed and slammed her textbook shut. She was angry, and wanted to vent, but gym wasn't until Thursday and she couldn't talk about it to Dick. Yeah, that would go over great. "Hey, Dick, I'm a bit upset." "Why so, Babs?" "Oh, you've been ignoring me since July and are suddenly hanging out with this new chick; who you still haven't explained to me who she is, by the way."

And the worst was that it made her feel so damn petty, and jealous, like a little girl being forced to share her toys. But, to be fair, she hadn't seen the prodigy outside of school in, like, two months. Whenever they had projects together, they would make plans, which would then be cancelled, and either Dick or Barbara – more often than not, it was Barbara – would do it alone, and write the other's name on it.

The bell rang, and the commissioner's daughter rose to her feet, collecting her bag, and wandered out to her locker to put things away before lunch. As she shut the door – once again, perhaps a little harder than necessary – she spotted a familiar gelled-back head of hair, and despite herself, a smile found it's way to her face. Dick turned around and waved, grinning. The redhead waved back at him, his name on her lips, but the call was cut short when that huge blond ponytail practically swamped her vision, and Artemis Crock walked up to her best friend and high-fived him.

Barbara bit back a growl and walked over to him, her smile a bit forced. Okay, very forced. She probably looked like the Joker.

"And then Roy was like –"

"Hey, you guys!" Barbara smiled at them innocently, glaring at Artemis. "So Artemis, you know Roy? Small world, huh? Did you two meet through Dick?" Roy Harper was a common guest at Bruce Wayne's charity dinners, and Dick and Barbara would often flock to him, the teenagers using themselves as an excuse not to be coddled.

Dick grinned, greeting her with a 'Hey, Babs!' but Artemis looked like a kid caught with her hand in the metaphorical cookie jar. "Um, no, actually, we're… uh… cousins," she said. "Ollie is my uncle."

"So how come we never see you at any charity balls? It would be fun to have someone from school there. Especially since Dick keeps on weaseling out of them." Another truth – as of the last few months, Barbara had been forced to hang out with Bette Kane and the likes. Actually, the girl was really nice, and had invited Barbara to her lunch table. Up until now, the redhead had refused, forcing herself to stay, invisibly, at their normal table while Grayson and Crock chattered on.

"Not my kind of party," Artemis shrugged, bringing Babs back to reality. She turned back to Dick. "So… are we still doing that thing this afternoon?"

"Totally! I'm definitely whelmed about it." Damn Richard Grayson and that smile. Damn Artemis Crock, for making Barbara become a whiny jealous schoolgirl. Damn them all.

"Oh, what kind of thing? Something I can tag along to?" she asked casually, already knowing what the answer would be. "My dad's going to be at work until tonight, and an empty house gets old after a few days."

While Dick looked at her sympathetically, Artemis looked at her again with that same deer-in-the-headlights look.

"Sorry, Babs," the boy apologized. "We're doing a joint-interview thing, about Queen Industries and Wayne Industries joining up – or something like that."

"Oh. Well then, I'll look forward to reading it then." Barbara smiled at them, that fake smile one last time, before turning away and walking towards the cafeteria.

"Save us a spot?" Dick yelled at her retreating back. His old friend let out a small laugh, and turned around to face him, eyes sparkling. Was it the bad lighting, that made them look wet, or…?

"Sorry, Dick," she echoed his earlier claim, "I promised Bette I would sit with her from now on. I mean, we are friends now, and all!" She winked at him, and started walking again, not fast enough to be a run, but enough to make the boy's heart sink.

Robin glanced at Artemis, who was watching with a confused expression. Having his teammate at school, and knowing his identity, had made him so excited and happy to have someone who could understand all of his problems. The Boy Wonder had forgotten that he already had someone who could do that.

And as he watched Bette Kane wrap her arms around her, and shoot Dick a glare from her table, he realized that he had lost her.

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