To be honest, even though the lack of reviews is really, really getting me down, I'm hoping that it's just that everyone's on vacation. However, a few people are bringing my hopes up, you know who you are :D
By the way: "Whoever writes television shows depicting television must've going to schools in a parallel universe." ...television shows depicting television... how in the world did you guys let this pass? xD I'm leaving this up so I can remind you guys: point out my mistakes. Do you realise how awesome I feel when you guys point out my mistakes? It feels great! It means you guys care enough to point them out! That you want me to succeed! Did you not read my profile?
By the way, I decided that in the navigation for the chapters will tell you the approximate time period the chapter will take place in, while the actual name of the chapter will still be in ...well the proper place in the chapter.
Start of a New Year, with New Information
It was Math, really boring stuff, Dick finished the assigned homework without a second glance (unless you count checking his answers in the back (all his answers were correct, if you're wondering)).
As such, he was just sitting near the window dreamily staring outside, while Wally was in the seat next to him. His pencil's eraser was in his mouth, and he was staring intensely at his textbook.
Conner Kent. He was a mighty fine boy, Dick thought. Kaldur wasn't too bad either, he had a certain reserved, regal, calm, cool ...thing going on. It certainly worked. Dick may have finally moved on from his Wally crush, which was certainly a good thing, despite Wally's somewhat I'll flirt with anything that moves philosophy, it was obvious he only wanted to get into a woman's pair.
Wally let out a groan, his pencil dropping out of his mouth, snapping Dick from his thoughts. "...dude, what's your problem?"
"What did I do to you?" Wally asked harshly.
"...I meant which problem you were stuck on?" Dick replied, wanting to chuckle.
"Oh...uh 3b," Wally replied, embarrassed.
"Let's see... "Show whether x = 4 would be the correct answer" ...and the equation is... 2(x + 7) = 22. Yes, x = 4 is the answer."
"...dude, I'm supposed to show my work."
"Huh? Oh, it's simple, you multiply 2 into the brackets to get 2x + 14 = 22, then you subtract 14 from both sides, and you have 2x = 8, and 8 divided by 2 is 4, so x =4."
"Cool..." Wally said, writing down exactly what Dick did, but... he seemed... distracted.
Dick grinned, he was so obvious, "Dude, what's really bothering you? I know Math isn't something you're particularly bothered with."
"I think... I like someone," Wally whispered.
Dick's grin became a Cheshire smile, "Oh? Who is it?"
Wally gave a sigh, quickly looking around the class, everyone else was engrossed in their work; still, he leaned in closer, "You know Megan?"
"You mean the one in our Drama class?" Dick asked; she was so...peppy though.
"Yeah...she's beautiful ain't she?"
...crap. Obviously, Dick was supposed to reply with something, but how could he do without A) revealing himself, or B) making it seem like he liked her as well? "Yeah, dude. You should go for her." If this were a video game, he totally just won.
"I think I will... but she probably doesn't even know I exist." ...and he just got trolled by game designers making him think he cleared the level, but actually he needed to do a lot more.
"If I recall correctly, the one who asked to be your partner for the two person scenes was her."
"Yeah, because you ditched me for Roy."
"I told you Roy and I already said we'd be partners if a two-person scene ever showed up! Besides, you should be happy, if I didn't, then guess who Megan would be with."
"Excuse me?"
"Puh-leese, we both know that Roy is some hot stuff, you don't need to be attracted to males to know that."
Wally sighed in agreement, "Fine, I guess I should thank you for keeping Roy away."
Despite Dick's elation that Wally was growing up; there was a small sinking feeling in the back of his head...
The end of Grade 8 came and went like nothing, people hugged, said good-bye, HAGS, crap like that.
Summer went by even faster, despite not wanting to go to school, summer was way too boring.
"Are you excited for school, Master Dick?" Alfred asked, while pouring a glass of orange juice for him.
Dick shook his head, eating his eggs, "Not particularly, but it'll be a lot less boring than what I just went through."
Bruce started their daily routine from behind his newspaper, "Did you make your bed?"
"Yes."
"Did you put your pyjamas in the hamper?"
"Yes."
"Did you brush your teeth?"
"Yes."
"Did you stretch this morning?"
"Yes."
Today, like last year, Bruce drove Dick to his first day school; school seemed a lot less intimidating having spent a year there, wondering the halls, laughing with friends, and studying the subjects.
Dick was yet again joined by Barbara in his homeroom, "Hey Barbara."
"Oh, hi Dick! Man it's been a while!" she said, jumping up from her seat to hug him.
"Yeah! How was your summer?"
Barbara rolled her eyes, "boring as heck, for the first time in ever, I'm glad to be back in school."
"Don't remind me," the third drawl surprised them both.
"Nice to see you, Roy," Barbara said, extending her hand in a hand-shake.
"What's wrong with school, Roy?" Dick asked, the taller, muscular redhead (again causing Dick to ponder about the population of redheads in the school).
Roy scoffed, "Did you really just ask that?"
Dick blushed, "Point taken; but Summer's too long; I wouldn't mind 1 month Summer, 2 weeks Fall, 1 month Winter and 1 week Spring break. The timing is spaced out a bit more, and the students get to keep their knowledge in longer."
"Why not eradicate school completely. Take an IQ test at 12, and if you don't make the cut, you are cut?"
"Funny how the person who failed his last IQ test suggests one."
Barbara snorted, "You failed an IQ test?"
Roy smacked the back of Dick's head, "Not putting in any answers doesn't count as failing."
"And what would that constitute as, genius?" Dick asked.
"Easy, I decided not to blind them with my intelligence."
"More like didn't want to baffle them with your stupidity."
"Apply cold water to that BURN!" Dick said, high-fiving Barbara.
Roy only smirked, "Whatever."
"What are you doing here anyways?" Dick asked.
"This is my homeroom now: it's for kids with last names from Go-He now, and my last name is before He, genius."
"Well, I have my course list now, I'll see you two outside," Barbara said, taking her stuff with her.
After Dick and Roy retrieved their course lists, they met Barbara outside, walking to Wally, "Oh, hey Wally!" Dick greeted, hugging him; Dick said he'd get over Wally, he said he would, that it was a simple high-school-girl crush on the handsome funny dude. ...right? Dick still had that small sinking feeling when he hugged Wally...
"Why didn't you hug me when you saw me?" Roy asked, his eyebrow piqued, snapping Dick out of his thoughts.
Dick coughed, "Because you're like the most awkward person in the world?"
Roy scoffed, pulling Dick into a hug. "I am not awkward!" he whined.
Barbara and Wally stood there, staring at what transpired, "...I think you're smothering Dick in your Pecs, dude." True enough, Dick was less than a head shorter than Roy, barely reaching his shoulder.
Roy released a completely red Dick. "See? Not awkward at all."
"Anyways, let's see those course lists," Barbara said, taking all of their course lists and comparing them.
Dick was completely elated, he finally got into the maximum number of honours classes possible, meaning he had Science, Socials, and Drama with Wally, Science and Socials with Barbara (as Barbara had taken Math 10 honours in her Grade 9 year, being deemed too good for Grade 9 Math...or something like that.), and English, PE, and Drama with Roy.
The next school day was an 8-period day, and along with Roy in English, Conner and Kaldur were there as well!
This year was becoming better than last year already.
Though, in his Viet class, he didn't know anyone yet; not to worry, he was sure he'd make a friend soon!
In Gym, Dick was yet again confronted with a hug from Roy and consequently Conner as well, both saying "that men can hug too!" It was a rather weird experience for Dick. Like, a really weird experience.
Though, in Drama, Dick was happy to see Wally again (only to have Roy hug him...again Dick was starting to wonder if Roy had made a dare to hug Dick every time he saw him).
Next, in foods, while Dick enjoyed foods, he was stuck with some idiots for his group, namely Cameron Mahkent, Tommy Terror, and Hartley Rathaway, and while for the most part they were alright to work with, they just weren't on task often, leaving Dick to cook (and therefore eat) more of their assignments.
Math was next (which was somewhat good, getting in some baked goods before Math), Dick eagerly sat with Conner across a Caucasian looking girl with dark features sitting next to an Indian girl, both identified themselves as Artemis Crock and Lauren "Jynx" Tom. Unlike all his other first day classes, Mr. Luthor decided to test the class' current capabilities with a partnered Math test.
In Science, Dick eagerly wanted to sit next to Wally, however, Wally wanted to sit in the front row, and before Dick could take the seat next to him, Kaldur sat next to him.
"Barbara!" Dick gleefully called out; however, Jynx was already sitting beside her.
So, Dick resigned to being the only person to sit alone, as the elongated lab tables of the Science classrooms only accommodated 2 people.
Just like in Math, Monsieur Mallah decided to test his pupils, however, with a verbal quiz instead.
"Can anyone tell me, what is the name of the tectonic plate directly off the coast of British Columbia?" he asked through his thick accent.
Immediately, Dick's hand, along with Wally's, Kaldur's, Barbara's, and the girl Dick recognised as Artemis raised their hands.
Monsieur Mallah looked at his class list, "Yes, Mr. Ahm?"
"That would be the Juan de Fuca plate, sir." Kaldur replied quickly.
In all honesty, the rest of the class was Dick, Wally, Kaldur, Barbara, and Artemis answering all the questions. Occasionally, Monsieur Mallah called on others, to see if the other 20 students really fit in the class.
"Hey, you're Artemis, right?" Dick asked the blonde girl.
"Yeah," she replied. "And you're...?"
"Going to Socials, A134." Dick said, as the pair exited the class (inadvertently leaving behind Wally and Kaldur, who were also in Dick's Socials class)
"Clever, I meant, what's your name?"
"It starts with a D."
"JOHN!" she shouted.
"...that starts with a 'J'. However, that is my middle name."
"Really, cool! Anyways..." the pair talked... like a lot. Like a lot, a lot. They had a surprising amount in common, it was astounding. (At one point they both randomly started talking in a British accent without realising it.)
They both agreed that their current Socials teacher was a gigantic douchebag, who didn't know how to teach, and shouldn't reproduce, but that's mean, so they sat there, smiling and looking down when she started talking.
As it turns out, Dick actually had 5 classes with Artemis: Vietnamese, Drama, Math, Science, and then Socials. This year was definitely better than last year.
Actually, this is getting kind of long, so I'll end it here :D I know y'all love me so much ^.^
Anyways, I'd like it if you review, I promise that in Grade 10, the things will get a LOT better (as a matter of fact, I think that at the end of Grade 9, it'll start getting better too), and yeah; please do note that the more reviews I have, the faster I actually update. It's true. It'll also boost my morale, which will increase the quality of my writing :D