"I shall name her Alice. A hatter always needs an Alice."

It was another one of those days ya know. Well for those of you who have never transferred to another school before….. You wouldn't know. I was, sadly, getting used to not fitting in, being the odd-ball, the new girl. Trust me- it ain't fun. But this year, I promised myself, as I looked up at my new stuck up-snobby school, this year-I was going to make it awesome. Then only moments later, the first embarrassing thing happened to me that school year.

"Ufft!" I fell on my backside. I rubbed my head awkwardly as I looked up to see who I had run into.

"You okay?" He asked as he bent down to help me up and help collect my stuff.

"Oh yeah-I mean yes." I said standing then dusting off my skirt. I bent over to collect my stuff also. When I went to stand up straight we banged heads.

"Ow!" We said in unison.

"I am so sorry that was my fault!" He said smiling.

"No, mine!" I reassured, I smiled back.
"OHHHHHHH! LOOOOK CIRCUS FREAK AND NEW GIRL!" A tall stereotypical cheerleader girl yelled then laughed. Her 'crowd' imitated her. There was one girl who walked by and gave us a pitying glance but walk on.

The boy in front of me sighed.

"What are they talking about?" I asked as he handed me my stuff.

He gave a weak smile. "Nothing." He mumbled, I had a feeling it was just the opposite actually. He looked up giving me a weak smile. "Name's Dick, Dick Grayson."

"Oh, Alice Liddel." He quirked a brow and cackled lightly.

"No I'm serious that's really my name." I said hotly, it's always the name, why? Stupid fairytale driven parents.

"Okay, if you say so." He said calming from his little laugh-a-thon.

I, internally, rolled my eyes. "Your new right?" I Nodded. "Can I see your schedule?" I nodded again. I balanced all my books in one arm and scrounged in my pocket for the paper. I unfolded it and handed it to him. "Cool. We have all the same classes." He smirked. Great just what I need, next thing you know he's going to ask me if he can walk me to class. "Can I walk you?" Yep, great. Just great!

"Sure, why not." I shrugged and he began guiding me to our first class. One of the first rules my mother taught me, be proper. Not that I am even close to it. But I strive to be, and I will not decline his offer.

"D!" Dick turned to see the girl I saw walk by earlier rush towards us. "Listen, I'm sorry. I know I should've said something-"

"Arty-It's fine." He said smiling.

"I-I-I'm just sorry."

"Its fine, we got a new friend out of it!" We? "This is Alice Liddel." Her eyes went wide.

"Um-"

"Art, that's her real legit name," he said smirking at her reaction.

"Bu-da-right. Artemis Crock."
"Nice to meet you." I gave her a smile.

"Catcha later then D." She smiled slightly and walked on.

"What's the first class?" I asked quietly.

"Algebra." I froze. Great the class I'm the worst in! I sighed softly.

"Something wrong?"

"No it's just…. Math isn't exactly my-stronghold."

"Ah that's fine, there's an empty seat next to me, and I can help you." He said smiling.
"Well okay, as long as it wouldn't be a nuisance to you."

"Nah, it'll be asterous."

Asterous

The rest of the morning was fine. He helped me in Math. Dick did I mean. At lunch I went and sat by myself, like I usually do, at a table I found in the back corner. I sighed, enjoying the peace. I closed my eyes for a second to take in the silence. Then I heard a CLANK! I opened my eyes and looked to see Dick sitting across from me at the table with his lunch. He smiled.

"Do you mind?" He asked.

"No, on the other hand, don't you think that that girl is going to tease you if you do?"

"I don't care. She'll find some other way to." I nodded.

Lunch was fine, good actually. Dick and I found that there was a lot we could talk about. Despite the funny looks that were being thrown at us. I was used to it and, obviously, he was to.

Last period, on the other hand, we got separated. It was gym. The boys went on one side of the room, and girls…. Well ya know. I smiled at him and waved, he did the same back.

"What's your name, Newbie?" The coach asked.

"Alice Liddel." I said.

"Well, Alice Liddel, we are practicing gymnastics." She smirked. I played a similar look, I knew I could do that.

"Cindy will show you some moves." The Cheerleader girl stood up and walked over to the mat, smirking at me. I felt a subconscious lump in my throat grow. I swallowed hard. Cindy did some premature stunts and smirked as if she had done something worth a gold medal in the Olympics. I held back a chuckle.

"Anybody wanna try?" The female coach asked, obviously a supporter of the brat like girls.

I raised my hand.

"Liddel. You're up."

I walked up to the rings. I jumped up and grabbed onto them, pulling myself up on them. Then suspending myself by them. I did a midair split and then flipped my body over so that I was face towards ground. I dropped myself. I did some flips, which turned into a cartwheel, which in-turn turned out to give me an applause. I looked over to the girls who sat wide eyed at the fact that I just showed up this Cindy girl. I heard clapping come from the other side of the room. There were guys smirking and clapping. I smiled at Dick and waved.

"Liddel! Stop showing off! Take A Seat!" she said though gritted teeth. Pissy Pants. Oops, I shouldn't have said that, that was rude! Rude, but true, rude, but true.

I got home that day and I crashed onto the sofa.

"UHHHH!"

"Hey to you too!" A voice came from the kitchen in the adjoining room.

I sat up. "Hey Mother."

"Hey Sweetie!" She said smiling and planting a kiss on my temple.

She was dressed up all fancy.

"Going someplace?" I asked. "A date maybe." I asked secretly praying that that's what it was. So I could do what I've been dying to do.

"No, Mr. Wayne, the guy I'm the secretary for, he is having a party at his house and wanted me there." The tall brunette woman told me.

"Sure." I said wiggling my eyebrows at her to set her off.

"Whatever." She huffed. "There's leftovers in the fridge, we're out of tea, but- Mr. Ling said that he was prepared to make dinner for you."

"Okay, thank you Mother!"

"Bye Babe." And with that she left the house.

Ah, only if she left more often. I thought.

I ran to my room and dug though my closet. The stockings, the dress, the goggles, the shoes, and of course…. The Hat.

I looked in the mirror as I slipped on my Mary-Jane shoes. Now I really looked like I lived up to my name. I wore a little blue A-line dress that stopped right above my knees, I had a little apron on that had pockets to hold my stuff. I adjusted the black bow in my light blonde hair. I sighed and put on my goggles. They were whimsical little things, swirling with white, black and silver.

Tonight was my night out.

You have to love Fridays.

I dropped down onto the roof, bring to balance myself in its edge, flipping forward to avoid it. I walked across the roof looking around to see if there was anyone I could catch doing something bad.

Sometimes when you grow up in bad neighborhoods you just want to do something about that. I told myself that I would do it if I had the chance to. Being alone on a Friday night was one way I could do this.

SWIIIIIP!

A bird-a-rang nearly took my head off. I stuck my hand in the pocket of my apron and retrieved my cards. I clicked on my night vision on my goggles and looked around, I aimed them at the figure I saw.

"Who are you!" It yelled at me.

"Not a bad guy if you're wondering."

"Well that stops me from having to arrest you, but why you're here is another question."

"I could asked you the same." I said still in fighting stance prepared to fight.

"Well, it's the Bat's orders, I wander Gotham to find bad guys. I guess you're trying to do the same.

"Kind of, more like I just want to set Gotham strait….. But… you know."

"I see. Name's Robin." He said stepping into the light. I switched off my goggle and lifted them up. A mask still covering a good portion of my face. "But, you're in a dress, doesn't that hinder your fighting?"

"Nah." I said putting away my cards. I'll have to tell you what those do later.

"I have a question, it's been bothering me for quite a while now."

"Um okaaaay?" He said a little confused.

I let the moment sink in a bit before I smirked and continued.

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

"What?" he asked. I pulled out a mushroom shaped smoke bomb from my apron and slammed it down.

POUF!

Bye-bye weirdo. What was the Boy Blunder doing?

I ran like heck. Well not really. I went home, crashed, literally, on my bed. I probably left Wonder Bread back there super confuse. Riddles and smoke bombs. Works like a charm. I got back into my civies and walked down the road from my apartment, there was a mini strip mall there.

Mr. Ling's China Buffet

I ran inside.

"Oh thank goodness for food!" I mumbled to myself although, he heard me. He being Mr. Ling.

"Oh, Alice." He said with his accent.

"Hey there."

"The usual?"

"Yes-sir-y!"