Here comes chapter 3! Not much say except for the disclaimer thoDisclaimer: I don't own anything except for my OCsPreviously on Stranded"Well, uh, she left because she-" Tara was cut off by VERY loud laughing and screaming, "Needed to, um, fangirl. Now, I've been as social as I can, and I'm getting a little energy sucked from it. Like my sister said, I hope I see y'all tomorrow, I guess. Uh, bye?" Tara said, and she watched as we climbed out of the window, closing it behind us.
Tara's POV
The weekends went by SUPER fast, and it was Monday already. I groaned as my alarm, Na Na Na by My Chemical Romance, started playing. Why did I decide to play bops on school days that don't deserve it?
I got up and replayed Friday in my head, the best day of my life. I almost screamed, realizing Damian Wayne, a fictional character, might be at my school! I smiled and put on my glasses, then went to my closet and picked out the nearest skinny jeans and t-shirt, then went to the bathroom. I put my dark brown hair into a high ponytail then brush my teeth. I find my socks and put them on, before packing my backpack.
I pick up City of Bones and put it in my backpack, then get my green binder and put it behind my book. I took my backpack and ran downstairs.
I walked into the kitchen and got out two bowls then poured in Frosted Cheerios into each. I placed them on the dining table and got out the milk and spoons, then put the Cheerios back into the cabinets, with the crushed box of Cookie Crisps that Tim Drake sat on.
"Angel! I got your cereal! What do you want for lunch?" I yelled up to my sister who, as usual, spent forever in the bathroom.
"Leftovers!" She screamed back.
I went to the fridge and took out a to-go box. I opened it and served out two pieces of grilled salmon onto a plate, followed by broccoli and corn. I placed the plate into the microwave and got out containers to put them in.
Right when the microwave started beeping, my sister came into the kitchen and grabbed both lunch boxes and put apples into them both.
"You wanna water?" She asked, but before I could answer she put one in anyways.
"Uh, I guess," I said, though there wasn't a purpose.
"So, about Friday," Angel started out, looking to see if our mom was coming, "do you think Tim and Damian might actually come to our schools?"
I had the same question, but instead of screaming, I put on a chill face and shrugged.
"I don't know, I hope. Dick might've forced them to come. Also, aren't you an ambassador? You'll get to show Tim around your school, right?" I asked.
Angel was the opposite of me. She was an extrovert who loved to talk to people. It's not that I didn't like to have friends or to have people in my life, it's just that I got the energy sucked out of me and got tired of talking to people. And I hated huge groups. But when it came to comics, I was fine with talking to the Batboys, I mean, they aren't a big group of people or strangers.
My sister nodded and said, "Yup! Meaning, I'll get to talk to Tim Drake!"
I rolled my eyes. Tim would probably avoid her if he had half a mind.
"You should see if you can show Damian around, I know you really want to talk to him," My sister said.
"No, no, no, it's fine. I don't want to. Plus, Ria and Kimberly already push me about it almost everyday, I don't need you to do that too. I bet I can find Damian if I wanted to, he'll stick out like a sore thumb," I said, trying to get off the topic of being an ambassador.
"A'ight, I'll stop. Just saying, though. But, it's already 7:15, so we should head out after breakfast," Angel said.
We both poured our milk and started eating, talking about new music, fandoms, and fanfiction like normal.
After we finished, I put the food from the microwave into the containers and put the containers into the lunch boxes. I put my lunch box into my backpack and then put on my Robin sweatshirt. My sister also put her lunch box into her backpack, but also put her sweatshirt into her bag.
My mom was in her personal office, working. She was already dressed and ready to go, like always. She came out and got her keys.
"Are you guys ready?" She asked. We nodded and opened the garage and unlocked the car. "We're going to Angel's school first because of her choir practice," she informed us.
My mom looked more like me, but she dyed her hair black since her hair had already started greying. She had the same colored eyes as my sister and I, dark brown. Her skin was lighter than ours, though, since she was north indian. My sister and I had a dark tan skin, matching our dad's more.
I watched as my mom drove into the drop off line and my sister walked out.
"Bye, Angel, I love you," My mom said.
I also said the same thing, like usual. My mom started driving and I took out my phone and earbuds. I started listening to my playlist as I scrolled through Tumblr.
Damian's POV
I'll admit, I was being a little dramatic. Just a little. Though, I had a reason.
Grayson and Todd both wanted Drake and I to go to school, even though they needed us to be the voice of reason and help come up with a solution to the problem.
I go to school in Gotham, I was fourteen, I had too. But this was serious, they needed (I might regret thinking this) Drake and I. Their plan was to come up with the machine of some sort that would take us back or contact father, then once school (Hell, in my opinion) finished, they would go over it and see if it can become a reality.
Basically, I had to go school. I was told to walk with Drake to school so we wouldn't have to spend money on what this dimension called an… Oovoo? Uber? I don't know what they call it, but we weren't wasting needed money on it.
Along with Grayson and Todd planning, they were also working at a Target to get more money to buy phones and necessary parts.
The walk to school was quiet as Drake and I both liked to keep to ourselves, especially when we had to do something together.
But then I remembered something that almost made me stop in the middle of crossing the street. We had to stick with the girls we had met last night.
"Drake, do we have to stay with the girls we met?" I asked. I wanted to find a loophole.
"Yup, so we understand this dimension better. Also, we have the same classes as them. I hacked the system," Drake said with a smug smile.
"Why?! Now we have to go everywhere with those people!" I said in protest.
"I mean, not everywhere," Drake said, which annoyed me, "and you'll be at a different school with Tara, the younger one."
"I don't care which one, it's just annoying!" I said. Drake just shook his head and we continued to walk.
After about 15 minutes, we stopped in front of a huge building, well for a school. On the building, big blue letters said, 'Autumn Academy for Excellence'
"Welp, looks like we're at the wrong place. It says, 'for Excellence'," Drake said with a smile.
I glared at him.
"Make sure you come back at 3:30 exactly," I said. I knew better than to let him just not come to get me.
"I know, I know. Bye, Demon!" Drake said, and ran off. I scoffed. Of course he runs away.
I looked at the establishment. I take a deep breath and walk in. I was going to regret this.
Tara's POV
I was in the art room like always before school. Our elective teacher, Mr.Dowl, let my friend, Kimberly, and me come into his class so we wouldn't go to the cafeteria or library, though I didn't mind the library.
Kimberly and I were laughing about a movie we had watched on Sunday when the bell rang and we started to walk to a class we shared, U.S History.
I was on the way when the principal said, "Tara Varghese, to the office. Tara Varghese to the front, there's a new student."
I raised an eyebrow. Why was I called to the office. I looked at Kimberly to ask just to see her looking away.
"Hey, Kim, why is the principal calling me?" I asked her suspiciously.
"I, uh, I don't know. You should check it out," Kimberly said. She was a terrible liar.
"I know you're lying," I said. How bad could a person be at lying?
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" She said, but then saw my very serious face. "Fine. Me and Ria made you ambassador and-" But she was cut off as the principal repeated what she said before, with more irritation.
"Tara Varghese, to the office. Tara Varghese to the front, there's a new student."
I gave a smile and speed walked to the office, which was down stairs. My thoughts were racing. What if it was Damian? But what if it wasn't? Other people might also enroll in Autumn.
I continues to think about it and if it was just a coincidence or not until I was there, the front office. The principal, Mrs.Johnson, was there in her usual black suit and black high heels. She raised an eyebrow at me.
"Got lost, Ms.Varghese?" She asked, not pronouncing my last name correctly, but hey, what was I expecting? It was Indian.
"Of course not, I was just in the bathroom," I lied with a fake smile, which she returned.
"So, um, who's the person thing or umm," I trailed off.
"Oh yes, he's right here. Damian?" Mrs.Johnson called, and my heart went faster. I was in fangirl mode.
Damian Wayne stepped out from a room and came next to the principal.
"This is Damian Wayne. All I want you to do is show him to his classes and where the bathrooms are, the counselor's office is, my office, you know, the necessary things," She said with a wink, which meant I had to laugh.
"Yes, ma'am. Um, thank you!" I said and walked out, with Damian trailing behind me.
"So, I guess Dick and Jason made you come?" I asked, which he sighed deeply and nodded.
"Yes, much to my displeasure. Now, I don't need to know where any of the things are. I have the same classes as you," He said. I so wish I could fangirl. But I took a deep breath and smiled. I guess I could hold it.
"And the same elective? Art?" I asked. He nodded.
"Great, so I guess I'll just show you where the boy's bathrooms are since some are farther from the girl's bathroom and the water fountains," I said, and we started walking.
Damian's POV
Tara wasn't as annoying as I thought. That doesn't mean she wasn't annoying, though.
We made conversation as we walked, and talked about things that infuriate us, like being compared to older siblings, having your name pronounced wrong, and getting called by your sibling's name.
"Also, you'll also have to hang with my friends, Kimberly and Ria," She informed me. I gulped and nodded.
"Now that you have informed me of everything, can I now go to my first class, U.S History?" I asked.
"Yup, though, class'll be almost over by now. We should be writing essays on what we learned, which right now should be stuff like explorers discovering America and stuff. Pretty easy," She said.
"Great. But I do not have to write an essay if I come in now, right?" I said, trying to make sure of what I had to do. She shrugged then laughed. "What? What did I do?"
"You said if you had to do an essay then said right! Like a pun!" She managed through laughs.
Her humor was like Grayson's, or maybe Drake's, if I stretched it. Basically, it kind of amused me. Only a little, though. I smiled. It was also because her laugh was so… weird. It sounded so airy and the way she found a pun so funny made me laugh, which caused her to stop for a moment, then continue.
"What?" I asked.
"It's just, in the comics," Once she said that, I started listening. I don't know how these writers portray us. "You usually wouldn't laugh so easily, especially at a pun. Maybe if Dick said it, though. Or you might've shoved him, it honestly depends on what just happened on the panel before, like that one time-"
I cut her off., "How many of these comics have you read?"
Her face morphed into a serious expression.
"All of them," She said. I was about to question even further when the bell rang and her eyes widened even bigger than Grayson's when Pennyworth catches him eating the cookies before they cooled entirely.
"RUN TO MATH!" She yelled, though I had no idea why she panicked. At Gotham Academy, we walked calmly to our next class, chatting with one or two people beside us.
I wasn't expecting a herd of people to come from the staircase and what felt like millions to be coming out of nearby door or bathrooms, laughing and talking as loudly as they could muster. Tara grabbed my wrist and ran into the jumble, to the stairs.
Is it weird or normal to feel fear about this situation, because I was. She navigated through, making many people fall, which she yelled sorry to afterward. I watched as one tumbled down the steps more than the others, and how Tara almost stopped to help them up, before realizing that would be risking her own life. She ran down halls, turning into some VERY small halls that were uncomfortable to go through, before seeking shelter in an almost empty room.
"Good morning, Tara," A woman at the front of the class greeted as Tara left me at the entrance and went to her seat to rea.
"Good morning, Ms.King!" She said back, plastering what looked like a fake smile to me, someone trained to figure things like that out, but to the teacher, Ms.King, it was genuine.
"Did you do your homework?" She asked, walking closer to the desk Tara was sitting at.
"Yes, it was easy," She replied, and the teacher gave a hearty laugh.
"Good to hear that," Then she faced my direction, "and who are you, young man?"
I grimaced at the name, but replied with, "Damian."
"Nice to meet you, Damian!" She said cheerfully.
I gave a strained smile and saf next to Tara, who was in the back row. It had already seemed that she was absorbed in her book, a stupid smile on her face as she read, so I had to just sit and stare.
As more students came in, Ms.King seemed to have gotten tired just at the sight of them, and stopped greeting and sat down, typing on her phone.
I watched as an Indian girl came and sat next to Tara and threw a rolled up wrapper at her, causing Tara to get an expression that matched one of when Alfred got mad, which was not something you want to see. She glanced at the girl and, with a sad smile, closed her book and faced the girl, making conversation.
I wonder how Drake's day was going. Hopefully bad.
Tim's POV
Angel had already shot down my plan of sneaking into the teacher's lounge and stealing coffee. She had gotten Starbucks in the middle of the day, which she had to chug in the bathroom before a teacher could catch her with her coffee. I slumped down in my chair. This was a sucky day.
I was in Chemistry and because I was new, I had to choose a pair of partners to join. I walked to Angel's group that she had with a Hispanic girl.
"Hey, Tim!" Angel greeted, to which I waved in return.
"Hi," I said, and turned to face the Hispanic girl who was putting her dark, almost black, hair in a high ponytail. "What's your name?"
"Ashley. Do you know what we're supposed to do? I was zoned out," She said, making Angel sigh.
"I just told you!" She yelled.
"I wasn't listening!" Ashley complained.
I explained the lesson and we got started. My day got better from there, as next was the easiest class, math.
All we had to do was geometry. The teacher, Mr.Garvey, explained then gave us worksheets, but we weren't allowed to do anything but the sheets, meaning no talking, making loud noise, getting up, or anything else that would distract anyone or him from sitting and staring aimlessly.
I completed pretty quickly, and tried to see if anyone else had. I slowly turned my head but Mr.Garvey got up quickly.
"ARE YOU CHEATING?" He asked loudly, pointing at me. My eyes widened.
"N-no sir, I j-just finished the sheet and I was looking to see if anyone else is f-finished," I answered, stuttering so I didn't seem to confident. I still needed to seem normal.
"JUST PUT YOUR HEAD DOWN, JIM!" He said, rather loudly again.
I nodded and put my head in my arms on my desk, ignoring the snickers and giggles. How could my day be such a rollercoaster?
I just sat there, with nothing to do. Finally, the bell rang. I started walking to the doorway, but waited for Angel. She followed me out and we somehow managed to survive the crowd.
"I have to go to my locker," We both said at the same time.
"I need to get my change of clothes for gym," Angel said, gesturing to the gym doors behind her.
"Me too," I said.
We had limited time, so Angel looked through the crowd before tapping a girl with curly blonde hair and pale skin.
"Can you get my gym clothes from my locker?" She yelled over the loud talking and screaming of people getting run over.
"Sure!" The girl said, and put her binder in front of her as a shield and ran through.
"Now we can stop by at your locker and then I can get changed," Angel said, to which I nodded to.
We quickly fought our way through the huge crowds and went to my locker. I opened it as if I've been at this school all the time turning the dial and lightly hitting the locker. I got out a bag and we headed to the girl's and boy's room area. We split up from there to change, and I was already dreading P.E just by the general mood.
Dick's POV
Jason and I had found two jobs at a Dollar Store as clerks. It was pretty easy, and we had convenient spots since Jason was right in front of me.
The only problem was, our shift ended at 7:30, almost 4 hours after Tim and Damian would be finished with school. I needed to contact them somehow, but how?
I looked around saw that one of the stockers was here. I tapped their shoulder.
"Excuse me, but can I borrow your phone to make two calls?" I asked, trying to look polite so he'd give it to me.
He gave a skeptical look.
"As long as I type the number and I hold it while it's on speaker phone," The man said in a rough voice. I nodded.
"Alright," I said, and gave him Parker's High School's phone number.
I told the office to tell Tim that me and Jay's shift ends at 7:30 and to see if he can catch a ride to Tara and Angel's house. I also had to tell him that we had to do the thing on the weekends, so it'll be a slow progress.
I got the dude to call Autumn Academy so that I could repeat the message. I quickly thanked him and went back to my counter, where I stood still, waiting for a customer.
I hated this job.
3:30, Tara's POV
School went by faster than usual, and I was already saying bye to Ria and Kimberly, who both rode the bus home. Damian and I waited outside in the front of school with the rest of the car riders.
"So, when's Dick and Jason gonna come?" I asked, trying to make conversation.
"Grayson informed me he and Todd both had late shifts so we should see if we can go to your house for a bit. Only until 8:00, though," He said, and I swear he almost got worried by my expression
"Oh no, no, no. My mom specifically says, 'No people of the male gender'," I said.
"Well that will be a big problem, because Drake also had the same plan in mind," Damian said, looking a little worried. A little.
"Maybe we can-" Damian cut me off.
"I am not dressing up as a girl. Not," Damian said, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"No, I'll tell my mom it's for academic purposes. I can say both me and my sister have a project with you guys as our partners. She might say yes. Also, she also has to check on some houses and go help do work and put up open house signs," I said. I never said that she was a realtor, but Damian seemed to have got that by now. "Which means by the time you guys go, she'll still won't be home."
"Okay, so do you want Drake and I to walk to your house, just following your car or something like that? Then we hide nearby and come in once your mother leaves," Damian said, basically coming up with the whole plan.
"I'll text my sister," I told him, and got on my phone.
(A/N This is the texts. A is Angel, T is Tara)
T: Hey
T:Hi
T:Hello
T: Chechi (A/N Means big sister in Malayalam, a South Indian Language)
A: Whaaaat
T: Tim needs to walk here and when mom picks you up then me they'll be walking behind and when mom leaves they're gonna come and stuff. Kk?
A: Uh sure
A: Guessing Damian came up with the plan?
T: Yeah
T: Did anyone notice Tim was Tim?
A: My teacher called him Jim
A: Cat and Fiona were SUPER skeptical.
A: They called him Tim sometimes.
T: Isn't that his name?
A: Like they called him Tim Drake
T: Oh anyways gtg. Tell me when mom picks you up and when Tim starts
A: He's bout to
T: Cool
T: Bye Chechi I love you
A: I love you too
A: Bye
I pocketed my phone and faced Damian.
"My sister said that Tim is on his way and we can put the plan into action," I informed him.
"Please don't say we need code names!" Damian whined.
"I wasn't going to say that," I said slowly, "But-"
"No code names!" Damian yelled.
"You should be quieter about the plan instead of yelling 'No code names!," I said, mocking Damian's voice, "But for real, you spend too much time with Jon. We're not having code names."
"Good," Damian said, relaxing.
"Okay, so the schools are pretty close so Tim should be here any moment," I told him. He nodded. "So, how'll we pass time?"
"Homework?" Damian suggested. I sighed.
"That, sadly, is what I was thinking," I said, and we opened our binders to get our homework from U.S History.
Time passed by quickly as we did homework and talked, it felt like we just started and we finished already. I saw Tim walking towards us just as my mom's car was pulling up in line to pick me up.
"You ready?" I asked. Damian nodded. "Good, see ya, Damian!" I yelled, and climbed into the car.
Angel's POV
I watched as Tim and Damian bickered and ran to catch up. My sister was giggling, with my mom giving us the look of 'What the fuck did I fucking birth', which she usually gave us.
I occasionally laughed, because I had better self control than to give everything away, unlike my sister. But it was hilarious to see them race and them to get tired of running.
Almost 10 minutes of watching Tim and Damian run and we were finally home. I watched as they hid behind our huge garden of plants in the front, disappearing from sight as my mom drove to the driveway and parked.
Phase 1, complete.
To be continued...Next chapter should also be quick. Make sure to review and... yea. Bye bye!
