Hey guys! As promised, here's part 2. I had to add some OCs to get the story running, I hope you guys don't mind. :D

...this has got to be the longest thing I've written O.O

SATURDAY: CENTRAL CITY MALL

Sabotage. That was the plan; it wasn't the original plan but Dick had to make some adjustments.

Since he had arrived, Robin was witness to the glaring fact that this date was nothing but a ruse. From his vantage point, he watched as Samantha and company use his friend as a human pack mule. Wally West, the one and only Kid Flash, sidekick and nephew-son to the Flash, best friend of the Boy Wonder, hero, speedster, and all around goofball was being led around like a dog.

Despite the obviously rude treatment, the redhead took it all in stride. His best friend had shrugged off the additional company and took their luggage without complaint. Robin knew that Wally was utterly blinded by the pretense of his "date" especially when Samantha was the pretty distraction. The young acrobat however, had no difficulty in seeing it for what it was: a scam.

Watching Wally lug around six additional bags had pushed him to alter the original plan of stalk—watching over his best friend. He refused to let this blatant exploitation go by unpunished. Luckily, as the ward of the greatest detective in the world, it was second nature to do a little digging.

Samantha Peterson and company were a group of six who were high up in the school food chain.

The stocky blond guy leading them was Edward "Eddy" Varnell, a football player. The jock had a talent for sports but not much else. He had a mean streak that had him throwing punches at the slightest provocation; which should've proved a problem to his athlete status, if it weren't for his father. A famous business tycoon, Varnell senior ensured that his son was handed the world on a silver platter, regardless of whether or not he deserved it.

The two girls following him were twin cheerleaders, Lily and Lila Stone. There were the school gossip machines. The more assertive Lila churned out harsh insults in a breath and traded secrets at a rate that was almost criminal. Blackmail was her weapon of choice which meant that she always had to be in the loop. Her sister was more subdued. Lily Stone was a pushover who followed her twin's every beck and call. The sisters followed trends religiously which might've explained the lack of individuality.

The tall kid who had his arms casually throws about the Stone sisters was Daniel Pullman. The school player had dark hair and blue eyes. He had the good fortune of an easy smile and a quick laugh. He had relatively good grades and a charm that had ladies swooning to and fro. Pullman would've passed off as a dream come true if it weren't for some questionable behavior. The guy was a well-known cheat, breaking hearts at every turn without the basic decency to be ashamed. In fact, he took pride in his dealings, often bragging about his 'conquests' to other guys.

Along with the four came Meredith Taylor. A self professed artist and fashion diva, Dick knew her from Gotham. She was a transferee from there but she looked very different. From what he remembered, she was one of those snobby rich kids who believed their opinions not only wise but also absolute truth. She bragged about her 'unique' tastes and hobbies as well as the ability to tack on meaningless symbolism to anything in an effort to make it seem more significant than it really was. She was the type of girl to dish out long words to appear more impressive; whether or not she knew what those words meant was another issue entirely.

And finally, Samantha Peterson, a.k.a. Miss Popular. The middle child from a well-off family, she was liked both by her peers and instructors. She took part in a variety of talent and sports clubs. The blonde haired, brown eyed girl would've had an almost flawless reputation if it weren't for one tiny hiccup. Online forums had her pegged as a scheming two-faced liar. Apparently, Peterson played the part of an angel, but that was all it was, an act. She was rumored as a conniving perfectionist who played up her friendliness and looks to get what she wanted. Unfortunately, whether or not these accusations were a hundred percent true, Dick couldn't verify. Sources ranged from wild admiration to bitter jealousy; but his gut told him that there was some truth to them.

He had to wonder how Wally forged any relationship with these people. Dick knew their kind well, spoiled brats and pretentious twits—they were a dime a dozen back at his school.

How his little redheaded chicky found himself in the midst of these snakes was a mystery.

Upon further investigation, which might've consisted of some illegal data cracking here and there, the little bird also discovered that Peterson and company—Samantha especially—had some failing marks, notably in Science. And Wally was, well Wally. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together.

Dick would've laughed at the entire cliché-ness of it all if it didn't involve his best friend. Unfortunately, the redhead was too trusting, vulnerable to abuse. It didn't help that KF was also easily bought by a pretty face.

As Kid Dork's best friend, he had an obligation to assure the well being of the freckled boy. Which was another way of saying that he felt completely justified in what he was about to do.

Robin knew that this group of so-called 'friends' held nothing but a shallow bond. Their relationship was born out of utility rather than any actual fondness. It would be child's play to unravel them; he'd just have to poke a few tender spots and let them do the rest. Their insecurities would take control and before long, they'd be swearing each other off. And so, the Boy Wonder swiftly made his way over to the group. He 'accidentally' bumped into Wally as well as Varnell. The footballer made out to grab him but Dick backed away and mumbled out an apology. Before Wally could recognize him, he slipped into the sea of people and disappeared.

A moment later, he clicked on his comm. link. He hoped that the planted trackers would do their job. The one way feed in his ear gave a brief buzzing sound before going live. The sound quality could use a little tweaking; he had to remember to add more noise cancelation features but for now, it would do. It was time to get to work.

ooOoo

The date wasn't going according to plan that much was obvious. From the very beginning, Wally had to contend with Samantha finding him fidgeting with his hair. He had bothered Aunt Iris constantly on what to wear before heading out. She had proudly proclaimed that he looked "dashingly handsome" —her words—but he couldn't help it. He was a bundle of nerves who had to constantly recheck his reflection on the fountain's surface. And so, his date had caught him smoothing down his hair with his tongue out and his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Sam probably thought him a narcissistic idiot.

Good going West!

Things had gone downhill from that point. He expected romance, a chance to impress the beautiful Samantha Peterson. Sammie was dressed in a light blue dress and white sandals. Her golden hair cascaded down her back in soft waves and her porcelain skin was aglow under the diffused light of the atrium. Wally was bewitched in an instant. Before he could compliment her though, the unexpected arrival of her friends crushed the romantic atmosphere.

Nevertheless, he couldn't bring himself to call this date a complete failure. Yet.

Turning his attention back to the older teen beside him, he listened as Ed regaled them with tales on last week's game. Lily was watching the jock in rapt attention while the rest of the party pretty much ignored the blond.

At times, he would see Meredith scrutinizing him from top to bottom. Wally swore you could almost see numbers over the tall blonde's head. Jeans: 2, Shirt: 1.85, Vest: -3, Hair: burn it down with a can of hairspray and a lighter, Overall: wouldn't touch him with a forty foot pole. Wally snorted at his own musings, unintentionally interrupting Edward. The bulkier of the two roughly laid his arm around the redhead's shoulders. He could see that the jock was annoyed and he was suddenly reminded of the blond's well known left hook.

"Yo, earth to West, ya in there buddy?" He asked. Varnell wasn't as bad as the rumors painted him out to be. Sure he was rough and a bit of a hothead but he wasn't cruel.

"Uhh, yeah, sorry… just drifted off a minute. Umm… what were you saying earlier?"

Eddy smiled a little more warmly at the question. Apparently, showering him with attention was an easy ticket to the older male's approval. "As I was saying, Lawrence was running off to the end zone and we only had ten seconds left on the clock. I was getting surrounded but then—"

"Are you seriously going to keep talking about that Ed?" Asked Daniel Pullman as he made his way over to Wally's other side. The smirk he gave the speedster reminded him of another dark haired, blue eyed boy, but there was a distinct lack of Robin-ness. Dick's trademark look always held that annoying 'I-know-what-you're-going-to-do-before-you-even-do-it' feel, butit was softer…kinder. Danny's smile, on the other hand, was all sharp edges and raised eyebrows, not quite as charming…

"In case you haven't noticed Varnell, you're boring our guest of honor" He said as he elbowed Wally none too gently. KF rubbed his arm gingerly at the gesture and watched as the blond male glowered. Dan merely titled his chin in challenge. Why he was encouraging Eddy's violent tendencies, Wally didn't know but he was sure that if he didn't do anything this date would turn from disappointing to over in a flash.

At the back of his mind, he heard Uncle Barry making some lame pun about that sentence.

"Uhh, it's fine, I don't mind" He said as he wedged his shorter frame between them. The two males barely glanced at him though and ultimately, it was Lila Stone who got them apart. The petite girl latched onto Danny's arm with surprising strength and began to chatter on about milkshakes.

'Milkshakes…mhhmm…' now that was an idea Wally could get behind.

They made their way to one of his favorite stalls, The Mad Cow. It had an outdoor dining area, which seemed a bit overkill for a milkshake joint, but it just so happened that this was one of the more popular spots in the mall. It was abuzz with activity as waiters brought over large drinks in equally big trays. The area was alive with chatter from seated customers and staff alike. As he heard the group begin to discuss their orders, Wally noticed that Meredith stood off to the side. He wasn't her number one fan but curiosity got the better of him. She pursed her lips at his approach and raised an eyebrow as he asked "What are you doing way back over here?"

"Nothing, West" The way she said his name made him flinch but he steeled on.

"Don't you want a drink? They have a lot of flavors. I think you'd find one you'd like. Their Berry Madness is—"

"I am not interested in saturated fats and sugar. Products intended for the masses, mindless consumers who willingly submit themselves to cheap merchandise for a brief respite into a state of sugar-high."

Wally blinked at her words and she crossed her arms stubbornly.

"Plus, I have to watch my figure" she mumbled petulantly to the side

Wally chuckled slightly before shrugging. "Why though? I think you look fine" Taylor looked at him in surprise and that in turn had him over analyzing what he said.

"And when I say fine, I don't mean like… fiiine. I just meant it like fine-fine, like… normal fine. Not the 'babe you're fiiiine'–not that you aren't that kind of fine either but—I"ll… just shut up now." The speedster said as he adjusted his hold on the bags he was carrying. He knew that his cheeks were on fire and somehow, he knew that if Dick had heard that social blunder, the Boy Wonder would be sniggering at his expense.

A sudden movement caused Wally to turn, interrupting whatever Meredith was about to say. It happened in an instant, which was luckily a speedster's specialty. Lily was ordering their drinks, while her sister prattled on about what she was wearing. A kid tripped on apparently thin air and crashed into a waitress. His hand flailed out, hitting her tray upwards, sending it and its contents soaring in the air. An extra large shake and two others were headed for Lila Stone. Wally began to run towards her making sure to keep his speed within the bounds of humanly possible.

He successfully intercepted the drinks with his face.

The cold goop made him shiver as it slowly began to droop down his shirt. He couldn't help but quickly lap at the side of his mouth. Hmm, chocolate, wild berry, and banana didn't taste so bad together. A shrill sound broke his taste-testing and he felt something get yanked off him. Hard. Wiping at his eyes, he saw Lila glaring at him.

"You got my purse dirty!" She exclaimed "My custom designed purse!"

Wally could only stare at her in incredulity. So much for saving the day.

Dan was sniggering to the side while Ed and Lily took their bags from him. Whether that was done to help him or because they didn't want to get smoothies on their precious belongings, the speedster couldn't say. He had an apology waiting on the tip of his tongue but Stone kept yelling at him.

"I cannot believe you West! Do you know how much this cost? I had to use up my entire week's savings and then some just to—"

"Lila, that's enough." It was Samantha who spoke. There was a brief moment that seemed the brunette was about to aggressively respond but she decidedly shut her mouth with a snap. Still, Lila Stone's eyes were stormy as she frantically tried to clean off her handbag. She was pissed.

"Thanks for the save" Sam said as she turned to him and offered a small smile. With a handkerchief, she wiped away some goop on his nose. Wally's heart was hammering in his chest but was offset by a disgruntled sound behind him. He turned but was only greeted by surprised faces. A worker came over with some tissues and plaintive offers for free drinks. It was all very tempting but the cold slush was determinedly racing down his chest.

Turning down the offer, the group was given coupons in compensation. They quickly made their way to a clothing store while Wally tried in vain to wipe off some of the goop. Sam led him by the hand and the speedster began to think things were finally looking up. Even Stone seemed to loosen up at the prospect of shopping.

Once inside, they all went their separate ways. Ed and Danny headed off to the men's section while Lila dragged her sister away from the group. Sam looked after the girls and sighed deeply. Before Wally could ask her what was wrong, Meredith shoved a shirt in his hands and shooed him to the changing rooms. The speedster scratched his head and went on his way. He caught sight of Dan entering one of the stalls. He soon followed suit.

There was an innate instinct in superheroes, and sidekicks, that told them when something was about to go down. Whether or not it was a product of having to face constant danger and make life altering decisions, Wally did not know. But he did feel it now as he saw shadows pass by his stall. He listened attentively and he could hear the quiet shuffling of fast feet. He would've checked on it but it disappeared soon after. With a shrug, he prepared to finally get undressed when the booming sound of a door being banged open made him jump.

"Very funny Varnell!" That was Danny's voice. He heard the telltale sound of bigger feet on the floor and he carefully opened his door. Dan was standing shirtless by the entrance of the changing rooms. His arms were shaking by his sides in anger.

"What's your problem now Pullman?" Ed asked his hands crossed in front of his chest.

"This is my problem" said the other as he threw something at the jock. Ed caught it easily and spread it out to reveal a very pink, very frilly, very female shirt. The bigger male just looked on in confusion which seemed to only enrage the usually laid-back teen.

"You think this is funny? Is this some kind of sick follow-up to that prank you and your buddies are playing?"

The question caught the jock in surprise. Hurt passed briefly on his face before anger settled in defense. He violently tossed the shirt back at the other teen; it hit Danny square in the chest before pathetically falling down onto the floor. Wally had no idea what was happening and could only standby dumbly...

"Hey, I don't know what's going on here but I really don't appreciate your accusations, Rainbow Man"

"Why you little—!"

KF took the opportunity to move between both boys once more. This time, his arms were outstretched proving more effective but not by much. Danny was taller than him and thus had farther reach, while Ed was a hulking mass of muscle; and while he dealt with thugs regularly, he still had to act his part as the weak nerdy kid. He caught sight of the tall form of Meredith as she stalked her way towards them. Maybe she could help.

"Where's Lila!?" She demanded snappily.

Orrr maybe not.

Whatever deity was playing with him sure had a sick sense of humor, when at that moment, Lila Stone turned a corner from wherever she came from. She looked equally furious while her sister tried to calm her down.

"How dare you Meredith!" She exclaimed while slapping down a '50% off sign'. It clattered to the ground along with the frilly pink shirt. This was ridiculous. Wally didn't even know what was going on. And now they were attracting a crowd. Oh this was just dandy.

"You have some nerve Taylor!"

"Don't you dare try to impugn my honor Stone! You're the one who so wickedly planted this in my basket" The taller blonde roared out as she threw a pair of pants down. They were big, almost thrice her size.

"What's going on here?" finally there was Sam, surely she could settle this, whatever this was.

"Why don't you ask Mr. Quarterback here Sammie?" Dan snapped and Ed promptly replied with a "Screw you!"

"Guys, calm down" Sam said with her hands up in an effort to pacify them.

"Great… Miss Perfect to the rescue" Lila muttered under her breath while her sister tugged on her arm to shut her up.

Sam narrowed her eyes at the brunette. Luckily, before the argument could escalate, a shrieking manager interrupted. The balding man had come out to check on the commotion but upon finding his merchandise spoiled on the floor, track marks left by the teens' shoes, he turned tomato red in anger.

Nobody looked at each other and Wally seemed to be the only one affected by the yelling man. The group left the store haughtily, leaving the speedster to apologize and deal with the problem. He had to pay for both the pants and the shirt; they were not at 50% off unfortunately. Right after paying, the redhead was kicked out.

He found the group a little ways down. There was heavy tension in the air and Wally watched as they apologized to one another. It was the most passive-aggressive display the speedster ever saw. The redhead then recalled some advice Uncle Barry told him. "Kid, nobody can stay upset with a happy stomach".

"So… you guys up for some dinner?" at the looks given to him, Wally felt obliged to add "my treat?"

Gradually the group warmed to the idea and Wally heaved a sigh of relief. His wallet was going to be housing moths for a couple of days but at least it seemed to lighten the mood. While the group decided on where to eat, KF made his way to the bathroom. The smoothie was entering dangerous boxer territory and he did not want to be reminded of that incident with Captain Cold's freeze gun and his privates.

Making sure there was nobody else in the bathroom, Wally quickly changed his clothes. As he looked in the mirror, he was reminded of how poorly this day was going. At least he was finally dry and clean but he wasn't sure if dinner was going to cut it for this sorry excuse of a date. He exited the comfort room and briefly debated whether or not calling Dick would help.

He scoffed at the idea.

Dick was his best friend, of course it would help.

He took out his phone and clicked the call button. There was a similar ringtone that rang out that had him looking around. Hmm… maybe it was a popular choice?

"Hey dude"

"Hey KF, so how's the date?" Dick sounded out of breath

"Terrible, I'm not bothering you, am I?" He asked as he began to walk around with no destination in mind. He watched as people passed by. Lots of couples seemed to be having a great time so why wasn't he?

"No, not at all, why what happened?"

"Weeeell… first a made a fool out of myself—"

"That's a given" The Boy Wonder supplied while cackling. See? Even just hearing his best friend's creepy as hell 'ha-ha' was lifting his spirits. Wally smiled as he rolled his eyes. He leaned onto a metal balustrade and watched Samantha and company, one floor down.

"Hardy har-har. Anyways, after showing up like a complete spaz, I then got a milkshake bath—dude we should totally get mixed berry, choco'nanas one time—and then there was this weird thing in the clothing store where they werearguingaboutsomethingbutIwasn'tsurewhatitwasbutitlookedreally…"

Dick sighed on the other end. Speedster garble. It really was a problem "Wally…Wally!"

"Huh?"

"English, Kid Dork" Wally could almost see Dick's smirk at that. He scratched his head sheepishly until he remembered that the other boy couldn't see the gesture.

"I guess… the point is they're just so different you know?"

"Explain"

"Well, you and I, we don't sweat the small stuff. You're my best bro. We get each other. While these guys—I mean, I know that it isn't any of my business and that I should only be focusing on Sam but…" Kid Flash sat down dejectedly as he trailed off. There was shrubbery separating his bench with an adjacent one. The slight movement on the other side, as well as the bustle of people in the mall, was a good distraction but he eventually gathered his thoughts.

"They say they're the best of friends, they practically advertise it back at school. But they don't act like it. They have all these subtle looks and snide side comments they make when they think no one is paying attention. I just… I just wonder why they don't treasure each other like we do."

There was a pregnant pause at Dick's end and Wally had to wonder if he had been cut off. He might as well have been, considering he had just spoken what could be considered the sappiest line in the entire world. He doubted even rainbow colored ponies could compete with the cheesiest things that came out of his mouth.

…He blamed Uncle Barry.

"Dick?"

"Here."

Right there. If there was any need to further prove how in sync the two were, it was right there in that one word dialogue. At that moment, Wallace Rudolph West knew that there wouldn't be another person who would understand him as well as Richard John Grayson.

"Maybe… they're not really friends KF…"

That… was possible, even likely. That was also sad. Friends were important. Hell, Wally would go so far as to take a page from Lord of the Rings and say that friends were precious. They were the family that you made and that was equally important if not more so than any lover. Sometimes it even eclipsed biological relations.

"Thanks Dickie" Kid Flash said with finality as he stood up. While his date was in tatters, he wasn't about to let this group, regardless of how mismatched, destroy itself

"Uhh… sure KF. Wait, what?"

Wally chuckled in response before he finally said goodbye. He made his way back with a bounce to his step.

ooOoo

Dick almost had a heart attack when his phone rang. Sometimes, Wally had the worst timing. Still, after running away from the speedster and ending up on some inconspicuous bench, the Boy Wonder didn't really feel any vitriol for his best friend. Especially after that call.

How the speedster managed to say the sappiest lines without stammering like he usually did was always impressive—and embarrassing. The authenticity of his words was still echoing out in Robin's ear.

"Stupid Wally and his stupid vulnerable yet stubborn affections."

It did make him question whether or not he was doing the right thing. After that shake fiasco—although getting Wally drenched was an accident, and planting trigger items—which he knew would have them fighting like cats and dogs, maybe it was time to call it a day. KF could surely handle himself. And maybe it was wrong for him to be butting into their issues. Plus, if Wally found out what he'd been up to…

Robin sighed. He reached up to take out his comm. link when he accidentally turned it on instead.

"West, what took you—what the hell are you wearing?" that was Varnell's voice. The Boy Wonder pressed to switch but the only thing he heard on Wally's end was static. Maybe it got lost in the chaos. He clicked it back and surprisingly heard laughter at the other end.

"Ahahaha, pink looks good on you dork" That was Lila Stone's voice. He was confused. Wally wasn't wearing pink, he was wearing—oh no…

Quickly getting up from his seat, Dick quickly located where the group was. He found them walking to a Chinese themed restaurant. The little bird's fear was shoved right in his face at the sight of the speedster in a pink frilly shirt with a plunging neck line and oversized jeans. Why he was wearing that? Dick doubted even Batman would know.

Wally made a glib comment on whether or not he looked good while sashaying his hips exaggeratedly. The group was laughing at his antics, except for Daniel Pullman. The taller blue-eyed teenager demanded why he was wearing that which only earned him Wally's sunny smile. The feed was faint considering that only Varnell's link was working after the change of clothes.

"Somebody had to pay for the 'soiled goods'" the speedster said, complete with quotation marks "And I'm not exactly a walking bank dude"

Danny seemed surprised. He was probably unfamiliar to this side of the redhead. Wally continued to smile unabashedly and that eventually broke the apprehension from the older male. The group began making the speedster the butt of their jokes and Wally didn't seem to mind, even egging them on good naturedly.

While KF didn't mind, Robin certainly did. His face was darkening by the second. He was furious. Screw all that shit (woops! Sorry Bruce) about friendship, he was going to break this group apart. No one made fun of his best friend—even with permission—no one that wasn't the Boy Wonder, Robin, and protégé of Batman.

Wally West's best friend.

Dick rushed into the restaurant after them. The place was packed and luckily, he managed to slip pass the moving crowd and occupy a table that was right behind the speedster. This way he could easily observe and hear what was going on with a small chance of Wally noticing him. He surveyed his surroundings, noting down which items he could use to his advantage.

The place had lush carpets patterned in red and yellow as well as other decorative elements including Chinese lanterns, flowers and various knick knacks tacked on for that Asian feel. The tables were circular with various seating arrangements. They were located in close proximity with only a small space for circulation. The patrons ranged from single diners, to couples, to bigger families and… what's this? There was a group of jocks at the other side.

Now the question was, what could he possibly do with all of these?

ooOoo

After ordering their food, the group broke off in smaller groups for conversation. The girls were huddled on their side of the table while the guys were on theirs. The previous hostility had dissipated and the speedster liked to think he contributed to that.

"Personally, I always preferred using the Imperials. Speechcraft advantage easily gets you better deals at the start of the game. More profit for loot" Dan was saying as the other two listened. Ed leaned towards them as he clapped the redhead's shoulder in a friendly but also rough manner. The blond really needed to get a handle on his own strength.

"Really? I don't know man, I'd take Nord any day. Cold Resistance against Frost Trolls pays off. Right Wals?" Hmm, somewhere between modeling his new clothes and now, he'd been promoted from West to Wals. The redhead liked it.

"Hmm… I don't know. I think I prefer Khajiits" he replied while rubbing his finger under his chin in a wise fashion

"Seriously?" Varnell asked wide eyed while Danny was nodding to himself.

"Yeah, that makes sense, Westboy here looks like he'd be a cat person" Huh, Westboy and Wals… not the best of nicknames but definitely an improvement.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Wally asked the other male who smiled in return. Ed was also looking his way, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"I don't know. It just seems like you'd be the type to take in willful animals that do as they please" Danny said as he began sipping his drink.

"That does make an awful lot of sense… like one minute they're craving for your attention, following you around and the next they're suddenly gone" Ed continued nodding in comprehension.

"And you, Westy, can't exactly help but look after them… you're a masochist that way, trust me, I know" Dan was now smirking his way and it felt very different from when they first met. Before he could reply, the waitress arrived with their food and Wally's stomach grumbled in excitement.

He turned red bashfully and his eyes met with Sam's, who sat across him. His date was looking at him now, really looking. He offered her a small smile before turning his eyes on the food. The piping hot noodles, fried rice and dumplings were making his mouth water and he barely noticed as Varnell made to stand. The jock was about to serve when he abruptly fell forward. His outstretched hand tried to find some form of support but instead knocked over the sauce for the spring rolls. As luck would have it, diametrically opposite of the blond was Meredith Taylor; whose very white, very expensive looking clothes were now a messy droop of brown.

She stood up from her own chair crashing it into the table behind her as she cried out.

"Ed! What in the world!?" Her voice shushed the entire establishment as people turned their way.

"I'm sorry Meredith, somebody pushed me!" He said as he looked behind him. There was nobody at the table.

"Uh-huh" She said with her hands on her hips, an eyebrow raised. The jarring sound of Lila Stone's laugh rang out in the silence.

"That's a good look on you Meredith" she said clutching her gut. There was a dangerous glint to Meredith's eyes that signified that she had had enough.

"Laugh all you want plebe. At the end of the day, we both know who gets to sleep in a king sized bed and who ends up in the dog house"

"Stop it!" Sam exclaimed as she stood up as well. At her scolding look, Lila and Meredith turned away pouting. Wally thought that was finally the end of it when the unexpected voice of Lily called out

"Quit acting like you have the moral high ground here Miss Prom Queen"

"Excuse me?" Peterson asked, surprised like the rest of them. Lily stubbornly looked at the short blond as she held hands with her sister. She gave a brief sympathetic look to Kid Flash.

"Oh don't act all innocent. We all know that you're just using Wally to get that grade in Science"

The soft words were the nail to the coffin. It even had the strength to make the group look away from the redhead.

"Wait, what?" the speedster croaked out

"As if you're one to talk El, haven't you been clinging onto Varnell for weeks on end because as I recall it 'he's rich and I need new shoes'?" Danny commented from beside Kid Flash. The freckled teenager buried his head between his hands, this seemingly never-ending argument was giving him a headache and his heart felt the burn of tiny little pinpricks.

Meredith smirked at the twins, viciously adding "Not to mention that purse? What did your sister call it? Custom design? You mean that junk your mom sells in your backyard? I guess the fake knock-offs weren't cutting it huh?"

Lila Stone was shaking in place. Angry tears were at the corner of her eyes "We weren't asking for your opinion, you conceited bitch. Why don't you stick to what your good at little miss fingers down her throat!"

The unsettling sound of clapping was heard behind the girl's side. And the group, along with the captive audience of diners turned to view the newcomers. It was a small band of Central City's football team. Danny visibly paled as he began the futile attempt to hide behind Wally.

"Bravo, bravo… Quite the performance" One said. He was tall, even taller than Dan and bulkier than Eddy.

"Lawrence? What are you doing here?" Ed asked as he stepped forward.

"Ohhh, just enjoying the show Varnell. Didn't know you had prime entertainment and—well, well… if it isn't Pullman and who's the geek beside you? New boyfriend I take it?"

The comment had Wally squirming in place while Danny lashed out "Piss off Lawrence!"

"Gotta say, didn't think you'd have a thing for redheads but compared to you, he does look better in drag, wouldn't you agree Ed?"

Varnell looked torn at the question. At the expectant looks his teammates sent his way, he regretfully mumbled "I…I guess…"

In blind rage Danny charged at Ed. There was a subtle pull on the carpet though that had the jock tumbling down. Danny couldn't pull back his punch and instead it landed with a 'thunk' right on Lawrence's face. The football team captain's looked absolutely murderous and the other guys were stacking on the intimidation. Lawrence lifted the blue-eyed boy right on the spot with his fist raised. At the terrified look on Danny's face, Wally sprung into action, directly placing himself in the line of fire.

He hit the floor cradling his now bleeding nose. He knew from experience that he had a cut lip and a bruise that would last for more than a day even with his accelerated healing and…holy hell, that hurt! There was a blur of movement as Lily and Danny took either sides of him. Ed, in an astounding display of courage and stupidity, pushed away the captain. Chaos ensued. There was yelling and the breaking of plates and he felt dizzy.

All Wally could think about was the wasted dumplings lying on the floor.

There was a hand that offered him some ice wrapped in table napkins and he looked up to find Lila. Meredith was helping him get to his feet with the support of the others.

"Enough!" Sam's voice carried out, stopping all activity "Stop it. Stop it right now! You guys are ruining everything. I told you to stay behind!"

Meredith started to walk towards the shorter blonde in an effort to calm her down but her hands were slapped away.

"I don't know why you're all fighting when all of you are idiots anyways! We have the raging dunderhead who can't think beyond his fists; the closet queer who thinks sleeping with anything that resembles a girl will make him straight; the self absorbed bitch who tries so hard to convince everyone that their family is not pop-tart poor and her sister the door mat who's so forgettable watching grass grow is more exciting; and finally, the insecure hag who thinks that long words and artsy phrases make up for her lack of self esteem!"

She was huffing by the time she was done. Upon realizing what she said, Sam paled and ran as fast as her feet could carry. Wally knew he should be feeling angry and righteously unforgiving, but he only felt sad and sympathetic. Eventually the group righted themselves as management tried to get things back in order. There were whispered threats on Lawrence's end as he held his broken nose; something about benching Eddy for the season. The jocks left and the rest of Wally's company didn't seem to know how to handle the situation. The redhead took it upon himself to once again apologize for causing a disturbance.

The bill reflected the wasted food and damages. It was more than he could afford. Mustering what little was left of his dignity, he was about to ask when a hand wrapped around his wrist. He looked up to find Danny shaking his head remorsefully. The taller boy took the bill off the speedster's hands. He briefly checked the amount before paying with extra.

"We should get out of here" Lily spoke and they all nodded in agreement.

ooOoo

Things had gone according to plan, even exceeding his expectation. Robin would've almost cheered if it wasn't for the look on Wally's face. The rest of the group was also sporting different degrees of hurt and anger. The speedster looked miserable. Dick felt a wave of guilt consume him but at the same time there was an obstinate vindictive feeling in his chest.

Samantha and her friends deserved it. They weren't completely blameless anyways and whatever issues they had, had been long brewing under the surface. Dick just so happened to open the pot and let it all burst out.

The look on KF's face was still nagging at him though…

He watched as the group discussed among themselves. Turning on his comm. link he listened.

They were arguing as usual.

"Well we can't just leave her there" That was the high pitch voice of Lila Stone

"Why not? We wouldn't want to trouble her highness with our oh so miniscule intelligence" came the cold reply of Meredith Taylor. Strangely enough, Lily was nodding in agreement.

"Well she's not the only one who screwed up" Danny added with a pointed look at Edward. Dick almost couldn't believe how they managed to keep fanning the flames.

"Look man, I'm sorry alright? I didn't mean it"

"Keep your apologies Varnell… it's not as if I expected much" the dark haired teen said as he looked away

"Hey! If you want to point fingers, this all could've been avoided if Lila just kept quiet" the blond defended

"What? Don't put this on me you—"

There was a sigh; a really loud, really long sigh that even Dick heard from his position. It came from Wally and the noise gained him the attention of the group. At his tired expression they all looked apologetic. A moment after, Wally shook his head and gave them all a forced smile.

"Well we better go get Sammie then" he said as he bravely walked over to Peterson. The rest of them merely watched him, not having the heart to go.

Robin followed his lead, his comm. link now proving useless. He was a few meters away and if he paid attention, he knew he'd be able to hear their conversation. The shorter blonde was dead to the world as she stared blankly in front of her. Her eyes were glossed over with unshed tears and she barely acknowledged the redhead as he sat down beside her.

Dick fiddled with the drawstrings of his hoodie. Now that he saw the result of all his meddling, he couldn't help but feel a bit bad. A teensy little bit.

"I screwed up" She said monotonously.

Not one to mince with words, Kid Flash answered "Yup"

There were a few minutes of silence between the two broken occasionally by the movement of people around them.

Getting tired of the quiet, Peterson eventually asked "What are you still doing here West? If this is about the grades… then…Y-Yes. It's true alright? I agreed to go out on a few dates because I knew you'd be my one way ticket to passing" She said glaring him down.

With difficulty, Dick forced himself to stay put. He wouldn't intervene; he had already done too much.

"No, that's not… Look, I'm not here for that okay?" Wally said as he tried to calm down the already frantic Samantha. He succeeded, but not by much "I'll admit, that it's a real downer but…I think, right now, it's more important that you fix… this, whatever this is. They're your friends Sam"

"My friends… In case you weren't paying attention, I practically made an enemy out of everybody. Besides, I never really saw them as friends, I don't need them anyway" She said bitterly as she moved to leave. Wally firmly held her by the hand.

"We both know that's not true" He said without any doubt whatsoever. Sam was anxious at the tone, being faced with such certainty was a bit unnerving—Dick knew, he was the regular recipient of it.

"What do you know!? You don't know who I am!"

"I do though" the redhead said as he gently laid his hands on her shoulders. Wally was shorter than Sam but there was strength in his gaze that kept her from dashing away. "I know that you were the one who actually got you all together. I know that you befriended the twins even before they got to the top of the food chain. I remember seeing you giving them tips on how to dress and how to make the most out of what they had. I know that you helped tutor Ed when he was having trouble in Spanish and that you remind him daily that he isn't just a hulking mass of a footballer. I know that you helped bandage Danny right after the more violent fights he manages to get himself into. I also know that when Meredith first transferred she had no one to talk to except for you. I know you Sam, and I know that you didn't really mean what you said."

Wally finished. His green eyes were bright but also stubborn and Sam couldn't help the blush that spread on her cheeks. All those tiny details should've passed by unnoticed and yet here was Wally West pointing them out easily. Her shoulders slumped in defeat, finally accepting his words.

"I just… what do I do now?" She asked him desperately and he gave her a smile.

"You say 'you're sorry'"

"But…I said so many hurtful things. I don't think they'd want me back after all that"

Wally shrugged in response and light heartedly replied "There's only one way to find out" He offered her his hand.

Dick could see the shifting emotions on Peterson's face but he knew that even she wouldn't win this battle. She took Wally's hand and leaned down slightly. Dick turned about as she kissed his cheek. As he left he heard her briefly say

"Thanks Wally"

Updates probably next week. Reviews make me happy :D